Toshiba licenses Rambus XDR memory for HDTV chipset

By Suzanne Deffree, Managing Editor, News -- Electronic News, 12/17/2007

Rambus Inc. today announced yet another win for its XDR memory, reporting that Toshiba Corp. has licensed its XDR memory controller interface cell (XIO) and XDR memory controller (XMC) for next-generation high-definition television (HDTV) chipsets.

The XIO and XMC will be implemented in Toshiba’s 65-nm process, Los Altos, Calif.-based Rambus said, noting that the XDR memory architecture operates at 4.8 Gbps.

“HDTVs now require as much memory bandwidth as many PCs in order to deliver the advanced features consumers demand,” said Hideki Moriyama, deputy general manager of the system LSI division at Toshiba's semiconductor company, in a statement. “With the XDR memory architecture, we are able to achieve both superior performance and a reduced bill of materials for our customers’ HDTV applications.”

Financial details of the licensing agreement were not disclosed.

Today’s announcement follows at least 2 previous memory agreements Rambus and Toshiba have in place. In October 2006, Toshiba inked a license agreement for Rambus’ XDR XIO and the Rambus PCI Express Gen 1 PHY cell. And in July 2006, the companies inked a similar agreement giving Toshiba license to use Rambus patents for SDRAM and DDR SDRAM memory controllers.

Rambus also has XDR licensing deals with AMD, Elpida Memory, Matsushita, Qimonda, and Samsung Electronics. 

XDR memory architecture uses Rambus’ Octal Data Rate (ODR) technology, Differential Rambus Signaling Level (DRSL), and FlexPhase circuits to deliver high bandwidth while using fewer DRAM devices than industry-standard memory solutions, Rambus claimed. XDR’s high memory performance allows advanced features of next-generation HDTVs such as 1080p+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rates, 12-bit color, multiple full HD picture-in-picture (PiP) data streams, and advanced image enhancement algorithms, the company said.