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Micron get it's feet into TCAM Network memory
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Tuesday, January 21, 2003
Memory giant Micron Technology announced an agreement with startup memory maker NetLogic Microsystems, under which the companies will combine efforts to produce a ternary content-addressable memory (TCAM) which they will both sell to networking OEMs.
Multi-source agreements are nothing new in the memory arena. Micron itself has entered similar agreements both in and out of the communication space -- QDR to name one. But, in most other multi-source pacts, companies define package types and key electrical specifications and then rely on their individual companies to execute on a design.
Micron and NetLogic are taking a different approach with the development of their Glueless TCAM (GLTCAM) product line. Under the development agreement, the companies will cross-license internally developed technologies to produce a TCAM that both companies can market to their customers. "We're taking the material difference between the parts off the table," said Niall Bartlett, NetLogic's vice president of marketing. "We'll compete on support."
NetLogic has based its existence on developing TCAMs and TCAM-enabled network search engines for the communication space and thus will provide its TCAM expertise to the project, said Jerry Johnson, director of strategic marketing at Micron. Micron, on the other hand, will contribute its expertise in developing high-speed bus interfaces for memory devices, Johnson said.
By teaming with NetLogic, however, Micron could raise questions about its own TCAM technology. In March of last year, Micron raised eyebrows in the industry when it purchased the Music's TCAM IP and products for approximately $4.5 million. At the time, it was well known in the industry that Music was playing catch up after falling behind on the TCAM development side. Now Micron is turning to NetLogic for help on the TCAM front, bringing into question the technology it acquired from Music.
According to Johnson, at the time of acquisition, Music was introducing a 2-Mbit part to the market. "This wasn't state-of the art technology," he said. However, through the acquisition, Johnson said Micron picked up knowledge on TCAM design. And, by partnering with NetLogic, Micron feels it can build on the technology acquired from Music and make the leap into the 9- and 18-Mbit space, which is the current playing field in the comms TCAM space.
Through the partnership, NetLogic and Micron will produce 9-, 18- and 36-Mbit TCAM devices. The 9-Mbit parts will hit the market in the first quarter of 2003, the 18-Mbit parts in the third quarter, and the 36-Mbit part in the first half of 2004, Bartlett said.
The GLTCAMs will provide two quad data rate (QDR) interfaces that comply with the Lookaside 1 (LA-1) interface released by the Network Processing Forum in 2002. By offering two interfaces, Bartlett said the same TCAM devices can gluelessly link up to both ingress and processors in the datapath. Additionally, the memory devices will offer a host CPU interface and an associated data SRAM interface.
Memory devices offered through this partnership will be delivered in 128K x 64/72, 64K x 128/144, and 32K x 256/288 configurations as well as in a software-configurable 256K x 32 version. The devices will be supplied in a 31 x 31-mm flip-chip ball-grid array (FCBGA) package.
By: DocMemory
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