Microchip Technology expands its serial SRAM portfolio

The introduction of 2 and 4Mb variants aims to offer a more economical substitute for conventional parallel SRAM, featuring optional battery backup switching in the SRAM to preserve data in the event of power failure.

The advantage of Microchip's serial SRAM over traditional parallel RAM lies in its simpler interfacing requirements and reduced package size. Parallel RAM typically demands at least 26–35 microcontroller (MCU) I/Os and larger packaging, whereas Microchip's serial SRAM solutions are housed in a cost-effective, 8-pin package and communicate over a high-speed SPI/SQI bus, necessitating only 4−6 MCU I/O pins. This facilitates easier integration, potentially allowing for the use of less expensive MCUs with fewer pins and reducing the board's overall footprint.

To bridge the performance gap often cited between serial and parallel memory, the newly enhanced 2 and 4Mb serial SRAM devices now support a bus speed of up to 143MHz, utilising optional quad SPI for improved data transfer rates.

Jeff Leasure, Director of Microchip’s memory products business unit, remarked: “Serial SRAM is a popular solution for engineers who need more RAM than what is available on board their MCU but are looking to reduce cost and overall board size. Microchip’s 2 and 4Mb serial SRAM devices are intended to replace expensive parallel SRAM with an easy and cost-effective alternative.”

These compact, low-power serial SRAM devices, characterised by their unlimited endurance and instantaneous write capabilities, are ideal for continuous data handling, buffering, data logging, metering, and other applications demanding extensive data and mathematical operations. Available in a range from 64Kbit to 4Mb, these devices support various bus modes, including SPI, SDI, and SQI.