Montage Technology Introduces CXL 3.1 Memory eXpander Controller

Montage Technology, Inc. launches 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-gen data center servers.

Built on a PCIe 6.2 physical layer interface, the CXL 3.1 MXC achieves data transfer rates of up to 64GT/s (x8) and offers versatile configurations with multi-rate and multi-width support, including the option to split into 2×4 ports. The chip integrates a dual-channel DDR5 memory controller operating at speeds of up to 8,000MT/s, substantially enhancing data exchange efficiency between the host CPU and backend SDRAM or DIMM modules.

Typical Application Scenarios

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 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 TCO.

Housed in a compact 25×25 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, 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, memory product planning, 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, next-gen product planning and enabling, SK hynix, Inc., 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 VP, data center ecosystems and solutions, AMD (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.). “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.