Kilopass’ Next-Generation Gusto-2 Targets Instant-On Mobile Devices

Gusto-2 provides the low power, large storage capacity, and performance these SoCs demand for execute-in-place in a silicon footprint equivalent to that of the shadow SRAM required to operate the external serial EEPROM or Flash being displaced.

Gusto-2 Antifuse NVM affords the low static power operation that SRAM cannot, while enabling field re-programmability that ROM cannot. First Gusto-2 products will be available in capacities of 256kb, 512kb, and 1024kb. And Gusto-2’s wide synchronous Open Core Protocol interface will enable easy connection to all modern embedded processor buses. Gusto-2 antifuse NVM IP is initially available on 55nm and 65nm process nodes with additional nodes forthcoming.

“Gusto-2 affords a number of advantages over external NVM and on-board shadow SRAM,” said Harry Luan, vice president of R&D and CTO at Kilopass Technology, Inc. “It eliminates the static power loss needed to maintain the data in SRAM when it’s not being accessed. It removes the start up time to copy code from external EEPROM/Flash into SRAM on initial boot or exiting sleep mode if the SRAM was allowed to power down. Gusto-2 NVM IP provides the memory density and execute-in-place capability of SRAM, while eliminating the component power, cost, and board real estate of the external EEPROM or Flash.”

New SoC designs in this category will come with Bluetooth, Zigbee, and WiFi peripheral circuits for such applications as sophisticated designs for home automation, security, healthcare monitoring, and financial transactions. The typical size of an embedded program to serve these applications ranges from 32 to 128 kbytes.

“A new generation of portable battery powered devices that require a single small-silicon-footprint SoC to perform digital monitoring and near field communications is creating a demand for NVM storage of program code,” said Linh Hong, vice president of sales and marketing at Kilopass Technology, Inc. “Unlike rechargeable battery-powered design, these new designs must rely on energy harvesting or be able to run for years on a non-rechargeable coin cell battery. The power use model is very much like what’s expected from a wireless automobile key fob or garage door opener. You put in a battery and forget about it. Designs with such stringent power requirements cannot tolerate SRAMs that continuously consume power nor the design respin needed to change a ROM configuration.”

SoC designs employ an embedded SRAM and external Serial EEPROM/Flash NVM in two instances. First, the combination is used at small process geometries where on-chip EEPROM/Flash is unavailable. Second, it is used where the amount of external NVM is too small to warrant the extra cost of adding it to a standard logic process. Replacing this combination with Gusto-2 saves the SoC design I/O pads ring pins. It also reduces the system manufacturer bill-of-materials by one component and saves logistics and inventory cost.