SDRAM

- an overview of SDRAM, Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory that is now widely used in PC applications.

SDRAM, or Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory is a form of semiconductor memory can run at faster speeds than conventional DRAM and is therefore the use of SDRAM is becoming more widespread. So effective is SDRAM, that it only took about four years after ins introduction in 1996 before its use had exceeded that of DRAM in PCs because of its greater speed of operation.

SDRAM operation
Traditional forms of memory including DRAM operate in an asynchronous manner. They react to changes as the control inputs change, and also they are only able to operate as the requests are presented tot hem, dealing with one at a time. SDRAM is able to operate more efficiently. It is synchronised to the clock of the processor and is capable of keeping two sets of memory addresses open simultaneously. By transferring data alternately from one set of addresses, and then the other, SDRAM cuts down on the delays associated with asynchronous RAM, which must close one address bank before opening the next.