Fujitsu Semiconductor America, Inc. has launched a new 8 bit MCU for general-purpose applications, featuring Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FRAM) embedded in a single-chip.
Specifications :
- MCU – MB95R203A
- Power Supply – 1.8Vmin – 3.6Vmax
- Bus Width – 8 bits
- FRAM Capacity – 8Kb Non-Volatile.
- A/D Converter, UART, I2C, Timers, I/O Ports-16.
- On-chip, One-pin debug.
- On-chip, built-in Oscillator.
- 20-Pin SOP or 24-Pin DIP Packages
Advantages :
By embedding FRAM within an MCU total cost and footprint has been reduced. It will simplify system design. This architecture has eliminated the interconnections between MCU and external RAM and thereby significantly improved the transaction speed between MCU and the embedded memory, resulting in performance that exceeds Flash or EEPROM.
Apart from endurance, low power consumption and high-speed access, FRAM incorporates built-in anti-tampering protection for data security. The high speed of FRAM provides another advantage: the write operation does not make the MCU wait. This helps in case of sudden power failures, very little data is lost. After power has been reinstated, the MCU resumes its operations from the saved state. This feature finds usefulness in applications where instantaneous storage of important data and quick restoration of operations following blackout periods is imperative.
Due to the write operation being done at high speed, polling memory for completing the write operation is not essential, as against in conventional designs, thereby reducing the program code. Another reduction in program code is effected due to the longer endurance cycles of FRAM. Wear levelling and its assciated codes are no longer needed, in contrast to Flash and EEPROM, which have limited endurance cycles, making wear levelling by code essential.
Pricing and Availability :
MB95R203A samples are now available at $1.60/pc from Fuzitsu, and production quantities are slated to be available by end November 2010. A simple, user-friendly development kit is also available.