Date: 27/01/2009

256-Kilobit serial F-RAM with I2C interface

The FM24L256, a 256-kilobit (Kb), 2.7- to 3.6-volt nonvolatile F-RAM from Ramtron comes with a high-speed serial I2C memory interface. The FRAM gives SRAM/DRAM type advantage of reading and writing data bit-wise into memory and also stores the data even during no power condition just like flash memory. F-RAM provides reliable data retention for 10 years.

The FM24L256 offers substantial benefits to users of serial EEPROM in a hardware drop-in replacement. The FM24L256 performs write operations at bus speed without write delays and the next bus cycle can start immediately without the need for data polling. The device offers write endurance that is orders of magnitude higher than EEPROM and uses much lower power during writes than EEPROM, since write operations do not require an internally elevated power supply voltage for write circuits.

These capabilities make the FM24L256 ideal for nonvolatile memory applications requiring frequent or rapid writes. Examples range from data collection where the number of write-cycles may be critical, to demanding industrial controls where the long write time of EEPROM can cause data loss. The combination of features allows more frequent data writing with fewer overheads for the system.
The suggested applications include multi-function printers to industrial motor controllers
Package: 8-pin SOIC
Operating temperature range: -40 degrees C to +85 degrees C.
Availability: Now in samples
RoHS compliant: Yes
Price: Each $4.56 in low volume.

However the drawbacks of FRAMs are its limited memory capacity and cost.