Ramtron’s FM25C160 16Kbit SPI FRAM memory device achieves AEC-Q100 qualification

“This achievement demonstrates yet again Ramtron’s dedication to meeting the design and sourcing challenges of the automotive market,” explains Ramtron vice president Mike Alwais. “The FM25C160 has already been designed into smart airbags by top automotive system suppliers across the United States, Europe and Asia, including Korea’s Hyundai Autonet. This device is a popular choice for this application due to its 5-volt operating power and serial peripheral interface (SPI).”

FRAM in intelligent airbags

Today’s smart airbags are designed to increase or decrease deployment force based on accident event parameters such as the severity of the crash, the weight of the occupant and the interaction with other safety systems in the car. The parametric data sent to the car’s electronic control unit (ECU) is generated by sensors throughout the cabin, enabling the airbag to deploy “intelligently.” As more sensors are designed into the car, more data needs to be collected. FRAM NoDelay™ writes facilitates the collection of more data at higher frequencies, allowing automotive safety systems to act on the timeliest information available.

FM25C160 features

The FM25C160 is a 16 Kbit non-volatile RAM with an industry-standard SPI that leverages the high-speed write capability of FRAM technology. A direct hardware replacement for equivalent EEPROMs, yet far superior, the FM25C160 reads and writes at bus speeds up to 20MHz with virtually unlimited endurance (1 trillion writes), 45-year data retention and low power. It operates at 5 volts over the industrial temperature range (-40 to +85 degrees C) and is available in a “green” 8-pin SOIC package.