San Jose, Calif. — Silicon Storage Technology Inc. has added four dual-bank, application-specific memory devices to its ComboMemory line. Each part consists of 16-Mbit flash memory and 2-Mbit or 4-Mbit SRAM, packaged with stacked-die technology in a 56-ball, plastic LFBGA that measures 8 x 10 mm.

Eugene Feng, director of marketing, said the ComboMemory devices replace as many as three individual components-flash, SRAM and E2PROM-for cost and space savings in traditional cellular phones.

The new parts are aimed at applications including mobile wireless communications applications such as Bluetooth- and Wireless Application Protocol-enabled mobile phones and Internet-based PDAs.

Feng said that the ComboMemory devices' dual-bank flash memory architecture allows for concurrent operations between the two internal flash memory banks and the SRAM. Data can be read from either bank, for example, while an erase or program operation is in progress in the opposite bank.

He added that the flash memory is partitioned into 4- and 12-Mbit banks with top- or bottom-sector protection options for storing critical boot codes and configuration data.

The devices use proprietary CMOS SuperFlash technology along with SST's low-power SRAM process. Feng said the SuperFlash technology makes the concurrent Combo-Memory devices less susceptible to electromagnetic interference, which is important for wireless Internet applications, as is low power consumption. The devices typically draw 25 milliamps in active mode and 6 microamps in standby.

Concurrent ComboMemory products feature a "SoftPartition" architecture that lets designers partition the data and program code into 1-kword sectors. "The uniform sector size gives designers more flexibility by letting them balance the amount of memory used for code and data storage depending on the application," Feng said.

Parts include two 16-Mbit bottom-sector protection devices, the SST34HF1621 and SST34HF1641; and two top-sector protection devices, the SST34HF1622 and SST34HF1642.

In quantities of 100,000, the SST34HF1621 and SST34HF1622 are each priced at $12 and the SST34HF1641 and SST34HF1642 at $17. The 1621 and 1622 are available in production quantities now. Samples of the other two should be available in November, with production quantities following in January.

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EETInfo No. 614