Product News
2019/12/19

[CES 2020] Facilitating AI Edge Applications and Heterogeneous Integration: Etron Tech’s New RPC® DRAM Combined with FPGA Platform Enables Miniaturization Towards the Smallest AI / ML System!

Promoting the miniaturization of AI / ML Edge / Endpoint applications, Etron Technology (TPEx: 5351.TW) showcases its innovative heterogeneous integration AI+DRAM platform: the latest RPC® DRAM x16bit DDR3 SDRAM, which uses only half the pins and 1/10th of package size compared with other similar DDR3 products. Thus, it fulfills the critical needs of miniaturization and lower cost for AI/ML Edge/Endpoint systems.Etron Partners with FPGA Manufacturer to Create the World’s Smallest Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence SolutionEtron’s partnership with Lattice Semiconductor (NASDAQ: LSCC) is laying the groundwork for a miniaturized Endpoint AI subsystem suitable for high volume, form factor constrained applications. The high performance, small footprint of the Lattice ECP5 FPGA is complemented by the high bandwidth of the RPC DRAM in its low pin-count miniaturized Wafer Level Chip Scale Package (“WLCSP”), which uses less than half the signals of conventional DDR solutions. The revolutionary RPC™ Architecture reduces FPGA I/O resource demands for the memory interface by pin-count saving that results in a smaller component footprint on a smaller PCB assembly, hence the cost saving.“The RPC DRAM brings tremendous value to the system designer by offering unprecedented value and size savings for FPGA-based subsystems by reducing the cost of interfacing to external memory. Using the available smallest DRAM packages, Etron continues to introduce innovative and valuable cost saving solutions for important high-growth markets, especially in form-factor critical Endpoint/Edge AI, industrial/robotic and multimedia applications such as AR/VR,” said Chung W. Lam, President of Etron Technology America. “Etron is pleased to collaborate with Lattice to bring high-value subsystem solutions to these developing markets.”“The Etron RPC™ architecture benefits Lattice customers when external DRAM is needed. Designers often use external DRAM to deliver more sophisticated features when deploying Lattice sensAI on the ECP5 FPGA. With the Etron RPC DRAM using only 24 IO pins, we can achieve the same bandwidth as x16 DDR3 DRAM. The RPC DRAM’s WLCSP 256Mbit DRAM package enables the miniaturization required in many of our targeted applications” said Gordon Hands, Director, Solutions Marketing, Lattice. “We are looking forward to further collaboration with Etron to aid our customers in development of innovative miniaturized AI solutions.”RPC® DRAM is Now in Highly Reliable Volume-Scale DeliveryEtron’s 256 Megabit RPC™ DRAM in Fan-In Wafer Level CSP packaging (FI-WLCSP) – known as the first DRAM in the world offered in this miniaturized package for ML/IOT/AI Edge/Endpoint usages – is now in Highly Reliable Volume-Scale Delivery. The FI-WLCSP is the smallest and lowest cost discrete package: it is a bare die with a Redistribution Layer (RDL) and solder bumps. The FI-WLCSP packaged RPC DRAM is 2 x 4.7 mm in size, features a x16 interface and uses 50 solder balls with ball pitches of 400 microns. The RPC DRAM matches x16 DDR3 bandwidth while being only 10% of the package size of the industrial standard 96 ball x16 DDR3 BGA, offering a very attractive form factor for new classes of applications. AI-Edge / Wearable / FPGA manufacturers can benefit greatly by porting designs with RPC DRAM.In order to facilitate rapid design-in with manufacturers, Etron will demonstrate its innovative heterogeneous integration AI+DRAM platform at CES2020. The latest RPC® DRAM and Known-Good-Dies (KGD) memory will be used in AI/ML applications and solutions for FPGAs, etc. Etron sincerely invites interested parties to visit Booth No. 21815, South Hall 1, LVCC during the CES Exhibition from January 7th to 10th, 2020.