Microchip doubles serial EEPROM density to 4-Mbit

Microchip Technology Inc. has unveiled its highest-density serial EEPROM – the 25CSM04. The 4-Mbit EEPROM offers double the density of 2-Mbit density devices that developers were previously limited to, enabling them to leverage the advantages of EEPROM memory. Advantages include lower standby current, shorter sector erase/rewrite times, more erase/rewrite cycles, and the ability to perform single-byte, multi-byte and full-page writes.

Previously, developers were using lower-cost NOR flash memory devices for 2-Mbit+ nonvolatile data set applications, including calibration constants, background conditions, user preferences and changing noise environments, said the company. These data sets are used to optimize the consumer experience in applications such as portable consumer and medical devices, including fitness trackers, hearing aids, and glucose monitors, as well as industrial, automotive, and other systems.

At 4 Mbit, Microchip’s new EEPROM is the largest EEPROM available to developers, according to the company. It comes with several advantages over NOR flash including a lower standby current (2 µA vs. 15 µA); the ability to perform single-byte, multi-byte, and full-page writes; shorter sector erase/rewrite times (5 ms vs.300 ms); and more erase/rewrite cycles (1M vs 100K).

The 25CSM04 joins Microchip’s nonvolatile memory product portfolio that integrates within its total system solutions built around its 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit microcontrollers and microprocessors. The company’s memory product family includes serial EEPROMs, NOR Flash, SRAM, and EERAM in all standard serial buses and all standard densities from 128 bit to 64 Mbit.

Supporting the 4-Mbit serial EEPROM devices is Microchip’s MPLAB Starter Kit for Serial Memory Products. The kit includes a serial memory interface board, serial EEPROM starter pack, USB cable, a CD containing the MPLAB X Integrated Development Environment (IDE), a Total Endurance software model, and a serial EEPROM interface tool.

The 25CSM04 family is available in three package options starting at $2.32 in quantities of 10,000. To purchase products, visit Microchip’s purchasing portal or contact a Microchip authorized distributor.