World’s most innovative 2-pin self-powered serial EEPROM

Launched as the industry’s most innovative single-wire EEPROM with only two-pins - a data pin and ground pin for operation - bAtmel has unveiled a new family of devices ideal for the Internet of Things (IoT), wearables, consumable, battery and cable identification markets. The 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 the power of leading competitors. With confined spacing in smaller IoT, wearables, battery and cable identification applications, Atmel’s AT21CS01 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 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 and still deliver flawless performance, says the company. “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 and 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 saving and 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 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. The Atmel AT21CS01 devices are available in production quantities in 3-lead SOT23, 8-lead SOIC and 4-ball WLCSPs.