Rohm Unveils Nonvolatile, Ultra Low-power CPU Prototype
October 05, 2007
Japanese Rohm is reported to have demonstrated on October 4 a nonvolatile CPU (Central Processing Unit) prototype. Rohm claims that their new 8-bit microcomputer is able to reduce total system power consumption by as much as 90%. The prototype is to be exhibited at CEATEC (Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies) Japan 2007, held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, Japan from October 2 to 6.
The ferroelectric memory chips, which are added to all 300 registers in the microcomputer, are expected to make the CPU nonvolatile without sacrificing its performance or increasing the chip area, according to a Nikkei Electronics report.
Other than the advantage of substantial power reduction, Rohm's nonvolatile CPU is also projected to offer reliable data stability during power shutdown as well as speedy resumption of operations, according to the same report.