Ep. 02: Zef Malik and the DDR4: Can Your Product Perform?

When you have the 40 years of industry experience Zef brings to the table, the DDR4 conversation is a technical treasure trove where experience meets innovation. Commercial manufacturers are already pushing toward the DDR5, but with the military transition to DDR4, memory's performance in the field is essential.

 

In this episode, Zef talks with Marti about why memory speed needs to become faster and why it buys critical minutes in the military mission. Memory is the backbone of a board, and technology is always pushing toward faster communication.

 

In applications where multiple memory devices are used in tandem and you have one weak link fail, performance suffers to the speed of the slowest device. The mission could be compromised. The aerospace and defense market needs to test the DDR4 at high speeds, temperatures, and conditions to guarantee optimal performance in military applications. And it needs an expert understanding of the product to make that happen.

 

Manufacturers are already experts in their product, but contractors will need to provide product above and beyond the "can it run?" or "can it work?" rubber-stamp tests. Expert value-add service like Spirit's will pick up where the OEM leaves off and deliver a fully qualified part to primes building product with the DDR4.

 

Zef and Marti also discuss how testing in A&D needs to shift from individual parts to System Level Testing (SLT) to keep up with the millions of possible combinations a chip may see on a board.

 

As Marti concludes, qualification testing is the insurance policy for the mission.

 

Spirit is an authorized supplier for the leading manufacturer of the DDR4. You can contact our team at spiritelectronics.com to find out more.

 

Bio: Zef Malik is an industry veteran with more than 40 years of semiconductor experience. He was a founder of ICE/IQL Labs and Silicon Turnkey Solutions (STS). He remains a respected leader in the high-reliability market. Zef is Spirit's VP of Strategic Business Development and also serves as the General Manager, Military Business Units, at iTest Inc.