The next generation of mobile memory technology!

Tektronix, Inc has just announced the first complete PHY layer and conformance test solution for JEDEC LPDDR4, the next generation of mobile memory technology. Slated for adoption starting in 2015, LPDDR4 builds on the current generation of LPDDR3 technology and will deliver improved data rates up to 4.26 Gb/sec and use an ultra-low voltage core to reduce power consumption by approximately 35 percent to enhance performance in mobile devices like smartphones, wearables & tablets.

LPDDR4 introduces new test and measurement challenges due to lower input/output voltage of just 1.1V, higher data rates and compact mechanical designs that limit access to test points. There are also multiple changes in Vref, read burst and write burst which further increase the complexity to perform the tests mandated by the JESD209-4 specification. Tektronix provides the industry’s most complete set of tools design engineers need for qualifying their LPDDR4 designs. Through automated set-up and test execution, the Tektronix solution can reduce testing cycles from a week or more to a single hour.

"There’s no question that LPDDR4 makes validation far more complex and challenging for the entire mobile memory ecosystem, from silicon vendors to system integrators," said Brian Reich, general manager, Performance Oscilloscopes, Tektronix. “We offer the test and measurement tools needed to efficiently bring this exciting technology to market, from high-performance oscilloscopes and probes to advanced analysis software spanning the entire memory validation continuum."

With this introduction, Tektronix now offers integrated PHY layer testing and debug of the new LPDDR4 standard in DDR-LP4 analysis software. By automating test setup and execution, DDR-LP4 gives memory designers the confidence that they are in full conformance with memory standards. Should a memory system fail conformance tests, designers can quickly switch to debug mode and use tools like the powerful Visual Trigger capability on Tektronix oscilloscopes to isolate events of interest for deeper root-cause analysis with the DPOJET Jitter and Eye measurement toolkit.

LPDDR4 interposers
In conjunction with partner Nexus Technology, Tektronix is also introducing the industry's first LPDDR4 memory component interposers featuring two patented interposer designs. EdgeProbe™ interposers are designed for the demanding mechanical constraints required by mobile designs while socketed interposers are available for ease of use, reusability and component swapping.