Kentron Technologies® announces that it is sampling the new QBM 10(R) Switch from STMicroelectronics for use on the world’s highest performing QBM533 (DDR based) memory modules.

The new QBM10 (R) switch is combined with industry standard DDR266 devices to provide 533MHz (PC4300 CL2) memory modules running at speeds that are years ahead of the rest of the industry.

Wilmington, MA – Wednesday, March 19, 2003 – Kentron Technologies, a privately held company, announced today that it is currently sampling the QBM10 (R) switch from STMicroelectronics.  The QBM10 (R) switch, which was specified by Kentron and designed and manufactured by STMicroelectronics, is a key device used in the Quad Band Memory (QBM) Technology. The QBM10(R) switch component is a leading edge switching device that combines a 10 bit, 2 to 1 port bus switch together with a 10 bit register.  The 10 bit register is just one example of the many performance enhancing features that have been incorporated into the QBM10 (R) switch as a result of very valuable feedback obtained from members of the QBM Alliance and the rest of the industry.  The internal register equalizes the load of data and DQS as seen by the controller, improves data and DQS setup and hold time, and improves slew rates by lowering load / capacitance.  The most significant benefit of the new switch is that by using the registers, the data valid window in the write mode is doubled at the DRAM device making the write timing similar to DDRI-266. The QBM10(R) switch component is also in a new, industry standard package that improves the power and ground parasitics.

Kentron is currently sampling the product as loose parts and in QBM modules running at 533MHz (PC4300 CL2) memory speeds using low cost DDR 266MHz (PC2100) devices. The new switch provides Kentron and its licensed partners with the capability of providing the world’s highest performance memory modules in Q2 of this year.  QBM533 (DDR based) modules provide the system balance needed by the single/dual channel mainstream and high end PC systems using P4 processors from Intel (533MHz and 800MHz FSB).  Equivalent memory performance at the device level (DDRII-533) is not expected to be available in volume from the memory manufacturers until 2005 and at much higher prices.

Quad Band Memory (QBM) is an innovative, low cost module or board based technology that doubles the bandwidth of existing, standard DDR SDRAM devices. QBM Technology consists of at least two independent DDR memory devices running simultaneously.  Both memory devices share the same command and address lines and each device receives a pair of differential clock signals at a frequency that guarantees synchronous operation. The clock of the first DDR memory device is in-phase with the controller clock, while the second DDR device’s clock has a phase difference of 90 degrees from the first clock (created by the on-board PLL).   The data lines from both DDR devices are bit packed together in the new QBM10(R) switch circuitry to produce twice the bandwidth of DDR devices (QBM data at 4 bits per cycle versus DDR running at only 2 bits per cycle).  The result is QBM533 (DDR based), a 533MHz memory speed (PC4300 CL2) DIMM solution that uses existing, standard, low cost DDR I-266 devices and is available two years ahead of the DRAM manufacturers device based solutions (DDRII). 

The New and Improved QBM10(R) Switch:

“Kentron Technologies has gained a significant amount of experience in developing leading edge switch technology to increase the speed and density of memory solutions,” said Joseph Capaldo, Product Marketing Manager for Kentron Technologies. “Kentron patented the concept of using electronic switches to isolate the computer data BUS from memory devices in order to improve speed and reduce capacitive loads, a common challenge in most system environments”. 

Kentron has several patents that cover the QBM technology, and to insure the worldwide availability of QBM modules, is offering the technology under a royalty-free license to DRAM manufacturers and memory module manufacturers.  Kentron established the QBM Alliance, which is an industry organization made up of eighteen (18) industry leading companies including six (6) leading memory module manufacturers, three (3) leading memory controller manufacturers, two leading semiconductor manufacturers and four (4) leading memory tester manufacturers.

“The changes that have been made to the QBM10(R) switch are an example of the switch component architectures that will be used to take the current QBM533 solution to QBM667, QBM800 and beyond” said Fabrice Gringore, Product Marketing Manager at STMicroelectronics.

QBM DIMM Features:

QBM Modules have been designed for use in x4, x8, and x16 QBM memory module configurations.   The modules support ECC and non ECC Functions as well as Data Masking (DM).  QBM533 (DDR based) modules have the same number of pins (184-pin modules) as today’s DDR modules and are backward compatible.  The equivalent speed DDRII-533 modules will not be available until 2005, will be 240-pin modules, and will not be backward compatible with today’s DDR modules.  Desktop and workstation systems require DM function and x8 support, notebooks require x16 support and Servers require x4 and x8 for high-density modules.

As the front side BUS speeds of microprocessor architectures continue to improve
(533 MHz to 800 MHz & 1066 MHz) in the coming quarters, new developments in the QBM10(R) switch technology will be available to meet the memory module speed balance required by the market place years ahead of the rest of the industry and at the lowest available cost.

ABOUT KENTRON TECHNOLOGIES, INC

Founded in 1998, Kentron Technologies, Inc. specializes in the design, manufacture, sales, support and licensing of present and next-generation memory platforms to meet the speed and density requirements of high performance computing systems.  With a portfolio of patented memory solutions, Kentron is pioneering new technologies that solve the memory density and speed issues faced by the PC, workstation, server and telecom marketplace. These standard memory platforms achieve the highest “per socket” densities and bandwidths in the world without the premium costs that might be expected of such leading edge technology.  Kentron manufactures its products in multiple locations in the United States and maintains a world-class engineering and R&D facility at its corporate headquarters based in Wilmington, Massachusetts.
Additional information is available at the official Quad Band Memory (QBM) website www.QuadBandMemory.com or at the Company’s website at www.kentrontech.com

Attention Editors: for additional information about Kentron Technologies, Inc. please contact Andrea E. Pruna, Kentron Technologies, Inc., 155 West Street, Wilmington, MA, at (978) 988-9100, extension 4161, or at andrea@kentrontech.com.  

Kentron Technologies, QBM, Quad Band Memory and The QBM Alliance are trademarks of Kentron Technologies. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.