GSI SQ-IIIe vs.
Cypress QDR-II+ Xtreme
Network Line Card Applications
Cypress proven performance with a stable
supply chain
Owner : JSFM
Cypress Confidential
Sales Training 9/27/2012
GSI SQ-IIIe Overview
GSI SQ-IIIe is a 72Mb SRAM featuring:
Operating speeds of up to 675 MHz
Random Transaction Rates (RTR) of up to 1350 MT/s
Quad Data Rate Interface
On-Chip Error Correction Code (ECC)
GSI SQ-IIIe finds application in:
High speed network switches and routers
Communications infrastructure equipment such as base stations and switches
Cache memory in high end servers
GSI SQ-IIIe is a high frequency SRAM that boasts the fastest operating
speeds and the highest RTR of any Sync SRAM on the market
GSI SQ-IIIe
Owner : JSFM
Cypress Confidential
Sales Training 9/27/2012
2
Challenges Using SQ-IIIe
1. GSI is the sole source provider of SQ-IIIe
On-going litigation over patent infringement has substantially impacted GSI’s revenue and future in
the SRAM market and choosing GSI products, the sole provider of SQ-IIIe SRAMs, carries a
substantial risk
2. Shrinking distribution pipeline
GSI was recently dropped by Arrow Electronics, a global electronics distributor
QDR-II+ Xtreme solves these problems
QDR-II+ Xtreme is a QDR Consortium defined multi-sourced product
Cypress products enjoy a robust supply chain including all 3 global electronics distributors in addition to
11 local distributors and catalog houses
QDR-II+ Xtreme is a high performance Consortium defined SRAM with a robust supply chain
Owner : JSFM
Cypress Confidential
Sales Training 9/27/2012
3
GSI Patent Infringement
Patent Litigation Timeline
Mar 2011 – Cypress files lawsuit against GSI for infringing on 5 patents.
Jun 2011 – Cypress files complaint against GSI with the US International Trade Commission (ITC) for patent infringement by
GSI’s SigmaQuad-II, SigmaQuad-III, and SigmaDDR SRAMs
Sep 2011 – Arrow Electronics drops GSI from their linecard.
Jan 2012 – Cypress reaches agreement with Alcatel-Lucent removing them from the ITC action.
May 2012 – Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) confirms Cypress SRAM patent asserted in Cypress’s ITC action against GSI
Technology and allowed 64 new claims added by Cypress during re-examination.
Oct 2012 – The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) presiding over the lawsuit will render his final initial determination (final
ID) which shall include proposed remedial orders in the event that there has been a violation of US trade laws.
Feb 2013 – Target date for completion of the investigation.
GSI 2012 Annual Report
Primary GSI Customers
“Should the outcome of the ITC proceeding be adverse to us, we and the other
respondents could be prohibited from selling or distributing those of our products
[SigmaQuad-III] found to be infringing Cypress’s patents, or end products
containing them, in the United States… our business would be significantly
harmed.”
- Lee-Lean Shu
Chairman, President and CEO
Owner : JSFM
Cypress Confidential
Cisco – 41% of net revenue for 2012
Alcatel-Lucent
Huawei Technologies
Ericsson
Ciena
Motorola
Tellabs
ZTE
Sales Training 9/27/2012
4
GSI SQ-IIIe vs. QDR-II+ Xtreme
Feature
SQ-IIIe
QDR-II+ Xtreme
Max Clock Frequency (MHz)
675
633
Max Random Transaction Rate (MT/s)
1350
900
72
72
Max. Read Latency (ns)
4.44
3.95
Max. Bandwidth (Gbps)
97.20
91.15
2 Mb x 36, 4 Mb x 18
1 Mb x 36, 2Mb X 18
2 Mb x 36, 4 Mb x 18
Multi-Source Part
No
Yes
Scalability and Expansion
Yes
Yes
ODT Available
Yes
Yes
On Chip ECC
Yes
No
Max Density (Mb)
Organization (X x Y) offerings
The indicated parameters are in the perceived order of importance
Owner : JSFM
Cypress Confidential
Sales Training 9/27/2012
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Customer objections to adopting
QDR-II+ Xtreme over SG-IIIe
1. “SG-IIIe provides superior performance”
“Why do you need a higher operating speed?” – understand the root cause
“Can Xtreme support the application?” – If so, QDR-II+ Xtreme is a proven multi-sourced product with a stable supply chain
2. “SGI-IIIe is a cheaper solution”
The QDR-II+Xtreme is a drop in replacement to upgrade to 100 GbE networking performance
Fit, form and function compatible with existing QDR-II+ solutions allowing you to increase performance without the costs
of board re-design
Owner : JSFM
Cypress Confidential
Sales Training 9/27/2012
6
QDR-II+ Xtreme Design Win
Example – Network Line Card
QDR-II+ Xtreme Value
Block Diagram
Design Challenges
Volatile supply chain
Upgrade line card to 100 GbE performance
Multiple applications require multiple types of memory
Enable field upgrade without halting system functionality
QDR-II+Xtreme Solution
Multi-source product with a stable supply chain
Xtreme offers speeds of 633MHz and up to 900MT/s RTR
Satisfies Forwarding Table, Scheduler and Statistics roles
Drop in replacement for current QDR-II+ SRAMs
Suggested Collateral
Data Sheets: 36Mb and 72Mb QDR-II+Xtreme SRAMs
App Notes: Choosing the Right Cypress SRAM,
QDR™ II, QDR-II+, DDR-II, and DDR-II+ Design Guide
Competition
100GbE Network Line
Card
Providing the RTR required
to support a 100GbE Network
Line Card.
GSI SQ-II+, GSI SQ-IIIe, Renesas QDR-II+
Owner : JSFM
Cypress Confidential
Sales Training 9/27/2012
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