On Dec 16, 2018, at 10:40 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk
<cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
On 12/16/18 11:21 AM, Paul Koning wrote:
If you simply want non-volatile memory, the
obvious answer is SRAM with battery backup and a small FPGA to do the interfacing.
I proposed nvRAM - CMOS SRAM backed by cell-for-cell flash. Loads SRAM
from flash on power-up and stores into flash at power-down. All that's
needed is a capacitor to extend the power-down cycle a bit.
Very fast, available in 8 to 32-bit wide architectures, up to 16Mbit per
package.
Claims to be guaranteed for 1M power cycles and doesn't require a battery.
Except it is *much* more expensive than MRAM. 32x8 NVSRAM is $18.50 in qty 1 from
Digikey.
A 64Kx16 MRAM is $11.84 in qty 1 from Digikey. MRAM requires no additional circuitry so
that
also reduces the overall cost (and has unlimited write endurance).
If it sounds like I?m harping on MRAM, maybe I am. I?ve looked at the various
technologies in
detail (what?s available, cost, interfacing, etc, etc) for years and for anything that
requires
non-volatility, MRAM wins until you get into seriously large sizes at which point you need
to
go to FLASH for economics.
TTFN - Guy