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NEC and Tohoku University have announced the development of the world's first Content Addressable Memory (CAM) that maintains the same high operation speed and non-volatile operation as existing circuits when processing and storing data on a circuit while the power is off. The technology could one day be used to build electronics that start instantly and consume zero electricity while in standby mode.
Circuits draw power when they are on standby – this has always been a problem. In recent years, the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) equipment has steadily increased due to the growth of cloud computing. Most existing equipment requires a short amount of time to get started and internal circuits remain active when the equipment is in standby mode. As a result, the growing consumption of power by ICT equipment in standby mode has become a serious concern.
NEC touts two key features of the new technology: the CAM is nonvolatile while maintaining a high speed, and it uses approximately half the circuit area in comparison to existing technologies. The new CAM is a part of spintronics logic integrated circuit technologies that utilize the negative properties of electrons together with the spin magnetic moment. It leverages the vertical magnetization of vertical domain wall elements in reaction to magnetic substances in order to enable data that is processing within the CAM to be stored on a circuit without using power.
If that jargon really messed with your head, here's what you have to remember: data can be saved on circuits even when power is cut from the CAM. NEC and Tohoku University plan to announce their latest results on June 17, 2011 at the VLSI Circuit Symposium 2011 (June 13-17, Kyoto).
User Comments: 6
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How does this differ from flash memory?
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customcarvin said:
Flash NAND is non-volatile in the sense that it retains data if it has no power... BUT, it cannot read or write data without power.
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Trillionsin said:
topcoach said:How does this differ from flash memory?
Re-read the article, if in fact you did read it the first time.
NEC touts two key features of the new technology: the CAM is nonvolatile while maintaining a high speed, and it uses approximately half the circuit area in comparison to existing technologies. The new CAM is a part of spintronics logic integrated circuit technologies that utilize the negative properties of electrons together with the spin magnetic moment. It leverages the vertical magnetization of vertical domain wall elements in reaction to magnetic substances in order to enable data that is processing within the CAM to be stored on a circuit without using power.Wow, going to have to look that one up.
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topcoach said:
How does this differ from flash memory?
Denser, faster.
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Mizzou said:
Things have sure come a long way since they were experimenting with bubble memory back in the late 1960's. I haven't a clue what the "vertical magnetization of vertical domain wall elements" actually means, but it sounds impressive.
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Uhm, we wouldn't have to look anything up if the article actually explained something in detail. Do these guys just don't want to take the time to research the technology and explain it? they certainly have enough space.
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