I have noticed that over the years, the turnaround time between new versions of technology keeps getting short. It seems that as soon as I buy a PC it is obsolete by the time I receive it. Technology seems to be changing that quickly in almost every field.
We live in a generation of needing to be connected to everything, all of the time. This has led to faster networks, quicker download speeds and immediate access so that everyone can video stream their latest show. The more access we have to something or the faster we can get it, leads everyone to wanting even more.
So why then is it that memory has not really changed in about the last 25 years? Non-volatile memory is memory that is not erased when you turn off your device. How can it be that we are still using the non-volatile memory, such as NAND flash that was introduced in 1989? Considering the amount of data that we now have access to, I would think that constant memory upgrades are a must.
The fact is that faster Internet speeds and faster processors that power everything from PCs to smartphones have kept us excited for a while. Other memory has gotten cheaper, smaller and more accessible, making it easier to keep our digital existence moving forward.
We live in a time where data collection seems to be quite important, whether it is for national security, or just because we need to know as much as possible. This has led to incredibly large data storage silos. Big data is a broad term for data sets so large or complex that traditional data processing applications are inadequate.
It was recently announced that Intel (News - Alert) Corp and Micron Technology Inc. will be starting production of a newer and faster type of memory chip. The companies say that the chips, which they plan to sell some time next year, will be up to 1,000 times faster than the NAND flash memory chips now used in most mobile devices. They will be able to store 10 times more data than dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips.
The technology that the two companies have created has been dubbed 3D Xpoint. While it still does not quite match the speed of DRAM, the new chips will retain data even after they are powered off. It is expected that the speed of the new chips will be a great benefit for those that rely on finding patterns in large amounts of data, like voice recognition, financial fraud detection and genomics. It will be easier to make sense of big data.
In a statement, Micron’s president, Mark Adams, said “One of the most significant hurdles in modern computing is the time it takes the processor to reach data on long-term storage. This new class of non-volatile memory is a revolutionary technology that allows for quick access to enormous data sets and enables entirely new applications.”
The two companies are achieving these faster speeds through denser memory. According to the companies, along with a new architecture, they have been able to invent unique material compounds that are 10 times denser than conventional DRAM.
A company spokesperson said that they were able to achieve the faster speeds using a checkerboard design. In part, the statement reads, "Memory cells sit at the intersection of word lines and bit lines, allowing the cells to be addressed individually. As a result, data can be written and read in small sizes, leading to faster and more efficient read/write processes."
Edited by Rory J. Thompson