Mercury Systems, Inc. announced the latest development in its high density secure memory product line, integrating double data rate fourth-generation synchronous dynamic random-access memory (DDR4 SDRAM) with its SWaP-efficient packaging technology. Replacing up to eighteen industrial or commercial DDR4 devices with a single military-hardened component, Mercury delivers space savings up to 75% in a ball grid array (BGA) package with data transfer speeds up to 3200 Mb/s. Mercury’s Advanced Microelectronics Center (AMC) in Phoenix, Ariz., will produce 8GB DDR4 devices in the second half of 2017 to support next-generation customer designs. 2GB and 16GB devices are slated for production thereafter.
“Since pioneering the first DDR high density secure memory devices more than 15 years ago, our miniaturization technology has advanced with each successive generation of DDR memory,” said Iain Mackie, Vice President and General Manager of Mercury’s Microelectronics Secure Solutions group. “Our memory solutions are optimized for density while withstanding the harshest operating environments. With today’s announcement, Defense prime contractors now have a trusted supplier of compact, military-grade DDR4 memory for high-speed, low-power, mission-critical subsystems.”
The three-dimensional packaging technology developed by Mercury transforms a two-dimensional array of discrete memory devices into a single, vertically stacked, dense BGA package without sacrificing the benefits of DDR4 adoption. Component selection and integration is optimized through advanced thermal, mechanical and electrical modeling. Mercury’s precision engineering delivers the robust mechanical integrity needed to withstand the harshest of operating environments. For enhanced board-level reliability over commercial memory devices, lead alloy solder is used for the mechanical and electrical interface to the customer’s mission computing subsystems.
In addition to uncompromising performance, supply chain security and trust are integrated through the complete lifecycle of the high density secure memory portfolio. From low-rate initial production through full-rate production, all high density secure memory products are manufactured exclusively in the Company’s Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA) trusted facility. Mercury’s commitment to excellence in industrial security has been recognized by the Defense Security Service (DSS) with multiple Superior ratings for several of its AMC facilities. Furthermore, all design and manufacturing records are protected with an active cybersecurity program modeled after the Center for Internet Security (CIS) critical security controls.