Microchip Technology Debuts First 512-kbit I²C™-Compatible Serial EEPROM in Low-Profile DFN Package
My first serial EEPROM was the old 24C02. This was an I²C 256-byte serial EEPROM good for storing configuration and setup data in a small microcontroller-based system. I wrote a simple bit-banged routine that easily accessed and wrote to the part. My thoughts back then were that "this would be nice if it was denser."
(ChipCenter)
Cypress Develops World's Highest Density Networking SRAM on 90 nm Process Technology
Remember when 1-million-transistor IC's were big news? This wasn't too long ago. Critics were saying "With that many transistors, reliability will be low, yield will be low, manufacturing would be difficult, and parts would be overpriced." Well, that wasn't the case. I recently reported on a 300-million-transistor network processor, and these numbers are almost common-place these days.
(ChipCenter)
SST Introduces 32-Mbit Flash Device with 1,000 times Faster Chip-Erase Performance Than Alternatives
We have seen NAND architected flash reach 2-Gbit densities, while NOR parts are in the 16- to 32-Mbit range. It would seem from that simple statistic that those who need density would shift over to NAND, but there is more to it than that.
(ChipCenter)
Crucial Technology Introduces Flash-Card Readers
These days, the average gizmologist has more than one device that takes advantage of modern flash cards. Advanced cell phones, PDAs, digital cameras, MP3 players, and even laptops can take advantage of the fast, small, lightweight, hot-swappable, and ever denser nonvolatile storage offered by this technology.
(ChipCenter)
Toshiba Launches 256MB Secure Digital Card
There is an old saying, "You have to use what you've got to get what you want," which seems to apply with Toshiba's new 256MB secure memory cards. A while back, I told you about Toshiba introducing the 1 Gb NAND flash chips to the design community. I also mentioned that Toshiba already had 2 Gb chips they planned on using for internal consumption.
(ChipCenter)
Motorola Unveils Developments in Successors to Floating-Gate Flash Memory
In the last few months, I've reported on several innovative and clever approaches to increasing the densities, performance, and power characteristics of nonvolatile memories. This includes Multi-Level Cell (MLC), Mirror Bit, and Magneto Resistive technologies. These are all important since many engineers feel that we are approaching the scaling limits of Flash technology. This is due to the voltages needed to tunnel charge, the reliability and data retention issues of smaller scales, and the migration of charge through ever decreasing oxide layers.
(ChipCenter)
Amkor Introduces Innovative, Low-Cost Memory Card
Removable memory cards have seen a great expansion of use. The older and shallower versions with smaller densities have fallen along the wayside as new form factors, performance ratings, and densities emerge. New applications that memory cards can fit into are pushing this technology forward. In fact, digital cameras were the first real killer application that made memory cards commonplace.
(ChipCenter)
Micron Technology, Inc., and NetLogic MicroSystems, Inc., to Produce Pin- and Function Compatible TCAM Devices
When implementing search and search engine functions, Content Addressable Memories (CAMs) are at the heart of the process. These specifically designed parts rapidly search deep pools to find content match hits.
(ChipCenter)
STMicroelectronics Introduces FlexibleROM™ as Direct Mask ROM Replacements
Mask ROM has always been the most cost-effective solution for high volume applications. Yet while there are economic benefits, there are down sides to this as well.
(ChipCenter)
Hitachi Semiconductor (America) Inc. Today Announced the Development of the "Three-Layer Stacked HJ931 Series," a "System in Package" (SiP) Product
Semiconductor manufacturers spend a lot of time and money bringing new parts to market. As a result, the products they introduce must have widespread appeal and usability in a variety of designs and applications.
(ChipCenter)
NEC Electronics Develops 1.8-Volt NOR-Type Flash Memory With Industry's Highest Capacity of 256 Megabits
I remember doing designs using an old 4000 series CMOS logic that could run at 12 volts or higher. Power wasn't an issue back then, especially since CMOS was changing the bipolar world and providing higher densities at lower powers. Speed, however, could be an issue because CMOS was slow.
(ChipCenter)
Top Density For Speedy Burst SRAMs
With processors running as fast as they do these days, memory is a key bottleneck to overall system performance. The older single-operation true random access asynchronous memory fetch is just too slow to keep the processor fed with fresh data and code.
(ChipCenter)
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