Montage Technology Introduces CXL® 3.1 Memory eXpander Controller to Empower Next-Generation Data Center Infrastructure

Montage Technology today announced the launch of its CXL^® 3.1 Memory eXpander Controller (MXC, Part No. M88MX6852), now in sampling phase with key customers. Compliant with the CXL 3.1 Type 3 specification, the controller supports both CXL.mem and CXL.io protocols, delivering high-bandwidth, low-latency memory expansion and pooling solutions for next-generation data center servers.

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Montage Technology's CXL 3.1 Memory eXpander Controller (MXC)

Built on a PCIe^® 6.2 physical layer interface, the CXL 3.1 MXC achieves data transfer rates of up to 64 GT/s (x8) and offers versatile configurations with multi-rate and multi-width support, including the option to split into two x4 ports. The chip integrates a dual-channel DDR5 memory controller operating at speeds of up to 8000 MT/s, substantially enhancing data exchange efficiency between the host CPU and backend SDRAM or DIMM modules.

To support intelligent system management, the controller incorporates dual RISC-V microprocessors serving as an Application Processing Unit (APU) and a Security Processing Unit (SPU), enabling dynamic configuration of DDR/CXL resources, real-time system event handling, and hardware-level security management. The device also provides various interfaces, including SMBus/I3C, SPI, and JTAG, for seamless system integration and simplified firmware updates.

As the demand for cloud resource pooling increases rapidly, traditional memory architectures face growing bandwidth and scalability bottlenecks. By leveraging CXL memory pooling, the controller facilitates dynamic and elastic memory allocation across data centers, helping customers to reduce total cost of ownership (TCO).

Housed in a compact 25 mm x 25 mm package, the chip supports both EDSFF (E3.S) and PCIe add-in card (AIC) form factors, making it ideal for deployment in servers, all-flash arrays, and edge computing platforms.

"The launch of the CXL 3.1 MXC marks another major step forward in our continued leadership in CXL innovation,” said Stephen Tai, President at Montage Technology. “This chip not only improves the memory expansion performance and energy efficiency, but also accelerates the industry’s adoption of disaggregated memory architectures through standards-based solutions, laying a solid foundation for memory pooling and sharing in next-generation computing infrastructure."

Currently sampling with customers, the controller is available with a complete Reference Design Kit (RDK), helping customers streamline evaluation and development of CXL-enabled memory expansion systems.

Customer and Partner Feedback Highlights

Jangseok Choi, VP of Memory Product Planning at Samsung Electronics, stated: "As a key member of the CXL Consortium, Samsung is pleased to see Montage launch the MXC controller compliant with the latest CXL standards. With its high bandwidth and advanced memory pooling capabilities, the device aligns with our CMM-D solutions. We look forward to deepening our cooperation with Montage to advance the adoption of disaggregated memory in AI computing."

Uksong Kang, Head of Next Generation Product Planning & Enabling at SK hynix, said: "As we continue to push the boundaries of what's possible with memory technology, SK hynix is impressed by Montage's commitment to innovation and its dedication to delivering high-quality solutions. The CXL 3.1 compliant MXC sample shipment is a testament to Montage's expertise and leadership in the field, and we believe it will have a significant impact on the development of next-generation systems. We're looking forward to collaborating with Montage on future projects and exploring new opportunities for growth and innovation in the CXL ecosystem.”

"CXL Memory expansion and tiering is a foundational technology for the future of data center computing, especially in enabling heterogeneous memory architectures,” said Raghu Nambiar, Corporate Vice President, Data Center Ecosystems and Solutions at AMD. “Montage’s CXL 3.1 strategy aligns with our long-term vision to drive transformative improvements in total cost of ownership for data center operators, while accelerating the adoption of memory tiering and expansion for AI and cloud workloads."

"As data center demands for low latency and high bandwidth grow, customers are turning to flexible memory architectures. Intel® Xeon® processors deliver strong performance today, and as a founding member of CXL, Intel welcomes Montage’s CXL 3.1 MXC as a meaningful step toward scalable memory architectures and an expanded CXL ecosystem," said Ronak Singhal, Senior Fellow, Intel Corporation.

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"The launch of the CXL 3.1 MXC marks another major step forward in our continued leadership in CXL innovation,” said Stephen Tai, President at Montage Technology.