AUGAT EXPANDS ITS RAMBUS RSOCKET PRODUCT LINE; New Augat RSockets Address High Volume PC, Consumer Applications

Business Wire, Nov 14, 1994

ATTLEBORA FALLS, Mass. --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nov. 14, 1994 -- The Interconnection Products Division of Augat (NYSE:AUG) today announced that it is developing Rambus Socket (RSocket) products to address high volume personal computer and consumer markets. Augat, an original Rambus partner who developed and shipped the first memory expansion RSocket, has gained much expertise in supporting Rambus technology, and is well-positioned to provide RSockets for high volume motherboard and add-in card applications.

"As Rambus Technology continues to gain industry-wide support in PC and consumer video applications," said David M. Barnum, product line group manager at the Augat Interconnection Products Division. "Augat RSockets will continue to lead the industry, allowing Augat to work with major system customers who are designing Rambus-based products."

Augat is developing a horizontal-style RSocket for add-in card applications, such as PC graphics accelerator or multimedia products. The horizontal RSocket supports a horizontal Rambus memory module for one to eight megabytes expansion memory. Add-in cards with two Rambus Channels can support two horizontal RSockets for up to 16MB memory expansion. The new RSocket and RModule meet the height restrictions of the ISA, PCI, and VL bus specifications. The horizontal RSockets from Augat will be available in the first half of 1995, and sell for about $2 in volume, which is less than one-fifth of comparable memory expansion products for alternative high bandwidth DRAMs.

Rambus technology is based on a high-speed 500 MHz processor-to-memory interface and innovative DRAM architecture, representing the most significant change in processor/memory architecture since the introduction of the DRAM two decades ago. The use of Rambus memory subsystem allows faster, smaller, and cheaper systems for personal, portable and multimedia systems.

"Augat Inc. has been very responsive to our customers, meeting their needs for small-profile, low-cost, high-volume RSockets," said Subodh Toprani, vice president for Rambus Inc." Just as the Rambus DRAMs use lowest cost standard CMOS processing, Augat's RSockets are based on standard, low-cost manufacturing, and will be able to rapidly ramp to high-volume production."

Augat Inc. is a leading international supplier of interconnection systems and technologies for the computer, automotive, and telecommunications industries. Headquartered in Mansfield, Mass., Augat's broad range of interconnection products include sockets, connectors, test component and fixtures, coaxial cable, fiber optic connection products, and terminal blocks.

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Rambus, RDRAM, RSocket and RModule are trademarks of Rambus Inc.

    CONTACT:  Augat Contact:               Rambus Contact:
              David M. Barnum              Julie Cates
              508/699-9800                 415/903-4725