Latest White Paper: New Memories for Efficient Computing

A Potpourri of Emerging MemoriesThere has been a lot of discussion in the trade press lately about new memory technologies.  This is with good reason: Existing memory technologies are approaching a limit after which bits can’t be shrunk any smaller, and that limit would put an end to Moore’s Law.

But there are even more compelling reasons for certain applications to convert from today’s leading technologies (like NAND flash, DRAM, NOR flash, SRAM, and EEPROM) to one of these new technologies, and that is the fact that the newer technologies all provide considerable energy savings in computing environments.

Objective Analysis has just published a white paper that can be downloaded for free which addresses a number of these technologies.  The white paper explains why energy is wasted with today’s technologies and how these new memory types can dramatically reduce energy consumption.

It also provides a Continue reading “Latest White Paper: New Memories for Efficient Computing”

Memory Issues in Space & Medical Applications

How an alpha particle disrupts a memory bitThe Memory Guy was recently asked about using memories in a satellite. What would be a good technology to use in a space application?

The problem with space is that there is a lot of radiation.  Radiation on the earth’s surface is lower because it is stopped by the atmosphere, but in space there is an abundance of radiation that interferes with most semiconductors.  Radiation is also a concern in certain medical applications where a memory must maintain its contents while undergoing sterilization through irradiation.  Experiments on conventional flash memories have shown data loss at only 2% of the Continue reading “Memory Issues in Space & Medical Applications”

Adesto Acquires Atmel’s Serial NOR Business

Atmel Sells Serial Flash Business to AdestoIt’s not often that a small private firm acquires a part of a larger public firm, but that’s what happened today with Atmel and Adesto.  Adesto, a manufacturer of alternative memory technology, has purchased Atmel’s serial NOR flash business for an undisclosed sum.

The transaction covers the Atmel “Data Flash” and “BIOS Flash” product families and the employees supporting those products.  Atmel has retained its Serial EEPROM, Crypto and Digital Temperature Sensor memory product lines and plans to continue to invest in those businesses.

This is not a small thing.  Serial NOR now accounts for roughly Continue reading “Adesto Acquires Atmel’s Serial NOR Business”