Atmel Releases New 2-pin Self-Powered Serial EEPROM
New Single-Wire EEPROM Family Requires Just One Data and One Ground Pin
Atmel (now part of Microchip) have released the industry’s most innovative Single-Wire EEPROM with only two-pins - a data pin and ground pin for operation-making the new family ideal for the Internet of Things (IoT), wearables, consumable, battery and cable identification markets.
The new devices are self-powered, eliminating the need for a power source or Vcc pin, with a parasitic power scheme over the data pin.
These devices provide best-in-class ultra-low power standby of 700nA, 200µA for write current, and 80µA for read current at 25 degree Celsius-delivering just one-third of the power of leading competitors.
With confined spacing in smaller IoT, wearables, battery and cable identification applications,
Atmel’s AT21CS01/11 devices eliminate the need for external capacitors and rectifiers with its parasitic power scheme over a single data pin.
Additionally, the new devices have an ultra-high write endurance capability to allow more than one million cycles for each memory location
to meet the requirements for today's high-write endurance applications.
The AT21CS01/11 products include a simple product identification with a plug-and-play 64-bit unique serial number in every device, making the device ideal for smart, connected devices in today’s IoT world including wearables such as smart fitness bands and healthcare devices. The devices also deliver industry-leading electrostatic discharge (ESD) rating (IEC 61000-4-2 Level 4 ESD Compliant), so applications such as cables, consumables, etc. can tolerate exposure to the outside environment or direct human contact while still delivering flawless performance.
“With Atmel’s legacy rooted in memory, we are excited to bring a new generation of innovative 'true 2-pin' serial EEPROMs that are parasitically powered,” said Padam Singh, Director of Marketing, Memory Products, Atmel. “Our new Single-Wire EEPROM family makes it very convenient to add serial EEPROM using just one-pin from the MCU/MPU without the need to route the Vcc to the device, delivering significant board space savings while simplifying the layout. In addition, the plug-and-play 64-bit serial number is the easiest way to add identification to various accessories and consumables. We look forward to proliferating these products to next-generation applications and delivering more value-added solutions and industry-firsts.”
The new devices follow the I2C protocol, allowing for an easy migration from existing EEPROM with less overhead and capability to connect up to eight devices on the same bus. The AT21CS01 devices offer a security register with a 64-bit factory programmed serial number and an extra 16-bytes of user programmable and permanently lockable storage, delivering a guaranteed unique serial number for inventory tracking, asset tagging and can permanently protect the data if needed.
There are two variants of the device available to support different voltage requirements. Atmel’s AT21CS01 is targeted for low-voltage applications operating at 1.7V- 3.6V. For applications that require higher voltage ranges such as Li-Ion/polymer batteries, the AT21CS11 will support 2.7V - 4.5V operating range and is the ideal product to meet IEEE1725 specifications for electronic identification of battery packs.
Features of the AT21CS01 Single-Wire Serial EEPROM
- 128 x 8 (1 Kbit) Memory
- Single-Wire Compatible
- I²C protocol structure
- Communication through a single I/O pin
- Standard Speed (15.4 kbps) and High Speed (125 kbps) Modes
- Self-Timed Erase and Write Cycles (5 ms max.)
- Low Power Consumption
- Read current 0.08 mA (Typ), 0.3 mA (Max)
- Write current 0.2 mA (Typ), 0.5 mA (Max)
- Standby current 0.7 uA (Typ), 2.5 uA (Max)
- Software Write Protection
- Four independent 256-bit zones
- More than 1 million erase/write cycles
- Data retention > 100 years
- ESD protection > 8000V (HBM)
More information on the AT21CS01 Single-Wire Serial EEPROM, can be found on the Microchip website
at
Microchip AT21CS01 product page
The Microchip website address is www.microchip.com
[Reprinted with kind permission from Atmel]