Rambus has developed a comprehensive PCIe 5.0 and CXL interface solution for chips built using 7 nm process technologies. The interface is now available for licensing by SoC designers and will enable them to bring PCIe 5.0/CXL-supporting hardware to the market faster.

Rambus’ PCIe 5.0 solution includes a controller core originally developed by Northwest Logic (which was recently acquired by Rambus) and is backwards compatible with PCIe 2.0, PCIe 3.0 and PCIe 4.0, as well as a PHY that also supports CXL. The solution supports 32 GT/s per lane data transfer rate and is designed for advanced 7 nm FinFET process technologies. Besides the IP itself, Rambus will also offer design, integration, and support services to speed up the development process.

Rambus believes that its PCIe 5.0 solution will be used by developers of processors for AI, HPC, storage, and 400 GbE networking applications. Considering the fact that many of the upcoming accelerator chips will use the CXL interface, it is important that Rambus’ PHY also support the new technology.

Rambus did not disclose how much its PCIe 5.0 solution will cost to its licensees.

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Source: Rambus

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  • Yojimbo - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link

    What do you mean by "inventing", exactly? You are commenting on an article devoted to the announcement of one of their products. They develop various semiconductor communications solutions, generally ones that conform to industry standards. It seems they also have some designs for implementing security algorithms.
  • MobiusPizza - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link

    @Yojimbo
    In this article it specifically mentions the controller offered here is a result of Rambus acquiring Northwest Technologies, so it's not a product developed inhouse, but something Rambus acquired. This only go to support OP's claim that Rambus mostly acquires, rebrand and sell.
  • surt - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link

    But the point stands. Where was it claimed that they were inventing? OP's claim suggests they are falsely given invention credit where none seems to be given or claimed.
  • Yojimbo - Friday, November 15, 2019 - link

    It supports nothing except that OP doesn't have any idea what he's talking about. The controller is from an acquired company, yes. The product includes a controller. So Intel does not develop anything in house because they acquired QLogic and put Omnipath on some of their processors?
  • gruggles - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link

    This is interesting, but it’s worth noting that Rambus is not a member of PCI-SIG. They have nothing on the PCI-SIG Integrators List either.
  • FreckledTrout - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link

    Which is why they wont get any takers well and there really bad reputation.
  • FreckledTrout - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link

    Rambus buying up companies and selling patents is a dead approach. As tech consolidates to the big players none of them are going to licence from Rambus they will simply design their own solution. It's not like Intel, AMD, IBM, Samsung etc can't design their own version for cheap.

    I wish the US would change the patent laws. If you don't make anything with said IP over x number of years you don't get to sue others for infringing on it. I mean it takes a hell of a lot more than this little bit of intellectual property to make actual shipping products.

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