Samsung and Numonyx have come together to develop market specifications for Phase Change Memory (PCM/PRAM) that will allow manufacturers to develop devices on common specs. PCM is a non-volatile memory that boasts fast read and write speeds, effectively combining the advantages of RAM, NOR and NAND.
The specifications that are being prepared will support JEDEC LPDDR2 (Low Power Memory Device Standard), which means the manufacturers can take advantage of while creating feature rich handset and applications, high-end computing devices, embedded systems and much more.
Both the companies expect the common specification to be completed by this year while having compliant devices by next year.
ECD Fan says
You are mistaken. PCM is not a “non-volatile memory that boasts fast read and write speeds, effectively combining the advantages of RAM, NOR and NAND.” Not at all. PCM is techno-Ponzi. Read all about it here:
http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/david-manners-semiconductor-blog/2009/02/is-phase-change-a-techno-ponzi.html
Neither Numonyx nor Samsung have any PCM product to show. It is all vaporware.
Paul says
@ECD Fan: I don’t think Samsung would risk its image and goodwill if this was a vaporware. In fact, most the industry stalwarts are optimistic about this.
http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=218101166
ECD Fan says
Paul: Samsung (actually, just a small team within Samsung) already hurt their credibility.
Just read here:
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20070226/128173/
They fed this story to the Japanese press in February of 2007, promising “Volume production set for 1H of 2008 to meet “rather strong demands.”
Never happened. As in every techno-Ponzi, the release date is always in the plausible future.
Samsung’s most recent attempt to deceive was in late May this year:
http://www.koreaittimes.com/story/3584/samsung-discloses-perfect-ram-prototype
“PRAM will be released to the market in June.”
In five days that attempt will be proven a lie again.
More on all this read here:
http://ecdfan.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-spot-fake-samsung-and-pram.html