Earlier this week, Fujitsu Microelectronics announced the development of a new flash memory macro that enables NOR flash memory circuits to achieve high-speed read operations while operating at low power currents. Using microcontrollers embedded with this technology, can enhance the performance of battery-operated portable audio-visual devices and also extend battery life.
The new flash memory macro uses circuit elements from Fujitsu’s proprietary high-speed memory-access technology FCRAM (fast-cycle random-access memory) in its NOR flash memory circuit, resulting in high speed, low operating current, and high reliability. By utilizing an optimized cell array that reduces load during drive operation, and through innovations in power-supply management technology, the new flash memory macro can accelerate data-read methods.
The new flash memory macro is guaranteed to retain program data storage for 20 years, or 100,000 write/erase cycles for data storage, while improving access speeds by 2.5 times to 10 nanoseconds (10 ns), and reducing the required operating current per cell by two-thirds to 9 microamperes (9 µA), compared to Fujitsu’s past technologies.
This new technology will be implemented in microcontrollers featuring embedded flash memory in automotive, industrial, and consumer electronics applications for which high speed, low current, and high reliability are all priorities, thus contributing to a reduction in the environmental burden footprints of embedded systems.