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ECC DRAMs are memory components with integrated error-correction logic. The ECC DRAMs internally generate parity-data for each data-block of 64 bit which allow to detect and correct single bit errors within each 64-bit internal data-block. As an example, a 1 Gigabit ECC DRAM internally consists of 16 million blocks of 64 bit. Even in the extremely rare case that each and every block would have a single bit error, the DRAM would still work perfectly as the ECC algorithm will correct all these errors. The error-correction algorithm is identical to what is used on server-memory-modules, but servers perform this algorithm by the CPU, while the ECC DRAMs perform the algorithm in the DRAM-chip itself. This is why ECC DRAMs make it possible to add a 'server level memory reliability' to any application, even if the CPU on your application is unable to perform ECC-correction.

With the ECC DRAM we did not change the technology used to manufacture the memory-array of the DRAMs, but we added a validation and correction algorithm to the device-internal logic.

Intelligent Memory´s ECC eXtra Robust DRAM components utilize a physical protection to the stored data-bits by holding the bits in larger capacitors, with a redundant data topology combined with built-in error correction features.

Explanation:
Each databit of a DRAM is stored in a very small capacitor holding a minimal electron-charge that defines the databit to be Zero or One. The data-integrity completely depends on these little capacitor-charges. On eXtra Robustness ECC DRAM each two cells are being 'twinned' to hold one databit, doubling the total electron-charge. As a result, the retention-time of each cell increases exponentially. Even increased leakage after cell-degradation does not cause a data-loss anymore as there is a much higher charge in each cell. External influences through radiation, antennas, etc can hardly flip the databits any more. The signal-margins (difference of charge-level for a Zero or a One) are much greater.

The eXtra Robustness (XR) DRAMs also have the ECC error correction functionality. In the very rare case that an XR ECC DRAM should have a bit-flip, the error-correction will catch and correct it. They are the most reliable DRAMs available.