FlexIO™

Rambus FlexIO Processor Bus - The Industry's Fastest Processor Bus Solution

The Rambus FlexIO™ Processor Bus products represent a significant breakthrough in logic chip-to-chip interface technology. Offering data rates of 400 MHz to 8.0 GHz, FlexIO interfaces run up to ten times faster than today's best-of-class processor busses, while reducing overall package, board, and system costs. Optimized for intra-board environments, FlexIO interfaces provide an ideal low-latency and low-power solution for high-volume, low-cost applications, including processor, chipset and network chip connections for a broad range of applications. Rambus' FlexIO Technology can be backward compatible with existing LVDS-based standards, including HyperTransport™, SPI-4 and RapidIO, allowing easy integration into next-generation products, while providing a path to higher levels of performance. FlexIO interfaces provide a complete physical layer solution for both standards-based and proprietary applications. We can also provide both the physical layer and logic layer for proprietary applications.

Flexibility, Performance and Savings in System Design

In addition to breakthrough bandwidth, FlexIO Processor Busses provide flexibility, simplicity and savings in system design through three innovative building blocks:

  • FlexPhase circuit technology is a major departure from traditional circuit technologies. It enables precise, per bit, on-chip alignment of data and clock, eliminating the need for PCB trace length matching and PCB timing constraints. This results in logic systems that are simpler, more compact, lower in cost, and capable of multi-GHz data rates.
  • DRSL (Differential Rambus Signaling Level) with LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling) enables backward compatibility. DRSL is a differential signaling technology available in bi-directional and uni-directional versions that offers a high-performance, low-power, cost-effective solution for transmitting data on and off chip. DRSL uses a variable signal swing as low as 200 mV, enabling low-power operation, reduced electro-magnetic radiation (EMR) and scalability for lower process voltages in the future. LVDS support enables backward compatibility to industry standards such as HyperTransport, RapidIO, SPI-4, and other varieties of LVDS signaling.
  • Variable Date Rate (VDR) delivers data rates of 1-to-10 times the speed of the clock, supporting a wide range of system clocks and data rates ranging from 400 MHz – 8.0 GHz.
FlexIO Technology Building Block: FlexPhase
FlexIO Technology Building Block: DRSL and LVDS Signaling
FlexIO Technology Building Block: Variable Data Rate Operation (VDR)

Extending the Versatility of Rambus Logic Interface Products

The high-performance FlexIO processor bus extends the versatility of our logic interface solutions and complements the Rambus high-performance serial link interface family. FlexIO interfaces are ideal for intra-board applications with shorter-distance (up to 15") and lower-distortion interconnects. In these applications, FlexIO processor busses provide lower power and lower latency than traditional serial link solutions. Rambus serial link interfaces are ideal for inter-board applications and are optimized for longer distances (up to 48"), higher distortion environments, and multiple connectors. For applications that span both environments, Rambus will work with customers to determine the optimal solution for their needs. Taken together, our logic interface products provide customers with a range of standard-compatible and custom solutions to meet their needs for high-performance parallel bus and serial link connectivity.

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