Product category:
Memory Devices and Modules
News Release from: Freescale Semiconductor
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 13 October 2003
Honeywell licenses novel memory
technology
Motorola is to provide Honeywell with access to its magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) technology under a new licensing agreement.
Motorola is to provide Honeywell with access to its magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) technology under a new licensing agreement The agreement is expected to accelerate Honeywell's ability to develop radiation-hardened MRAM nonvolatile memory for military and aerospace products such as satellites where data processing and storage performance is critical
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 20 Mar 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Motorola drives for driver information systems
Motorola is developing a family of microcontrollers for the driver information systems (DIS) market.
MCU and DSP features combine in Flash hybrids
The 56F826 and 56F827 are Motorola's newest Flash-based hybrid controllers.
Honeywell plans to incorporate Motorola's MRAM memory elements with its radiation-hardened silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology to produce the first memory chip capable of providing data stability in the harsh operating environments of space, including for satellite and military applications.
"Combining Motorola's MRAM with Honeywell's silicon-on-insulator (SOI) radiation hardened process will produce a new, revolutionary chip that improves data storage", said Eric Doremus, Vice President of Honeywell's precision sensors and components business.
"This is a breakthrough component that will result in greater reliability of data despite varying radiation and power fluctuation challenges in space environments".
Further reading
DSP56800 design software comes for free
Motorola is offering a complimentary licence of the award-winning Metrowerks CodeWarrior for DSP56800 integrated development environment (IDE) with the purchase of a DSP56800 evaluation module.
Best-in-class claim for new DragonBalls
Motorola claims its two new DragonBall microprocessor products - DragonBall MX1 and DragonBall Super VZ - provide best-in-class handheld performance and battery life.
Honeywell and Motorola collaborated with DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Project Agency) in the initial research and development of MRAM.
Chris Belden, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Technology and Manufacturing at Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector, said: "Stand-alone memory and embedded chip manufacturers are all looking for cost-effective, flexible memory technology.
We are excited to be working with Honeywell to meet their demands and to build momentum behind MRAM as the flexible memory solution of the future".
Currently RAM used in space and military systems is susceptible to the bursts of high or low amounts of radiation that interrupt power, requiring auxiliary systems to prevent data corruption and loss.
By contrast, MRAM stores data through a magnetic cell structure rather than through transistor cells, eliminating the need for the auxiliary systems that add weight, require storage and often are less reliable.
MRAM also offers exceptional speed, memory ability and the integration of multiple memory options on the same chip.
For computers, memory reloads information into "local memory" from mass storage like a hard disk drive when power is turned on.
MRAM allows programs and data to remain in local memory even when the computer is turned off, which significantly reduces the load time when powered up.
SOI technology is similar to a standard semiconductor, with the added advantage of its insulator layers.
It currently is used to fabricate Honeywell's radiation-hardened RAM and application specific integrated circuit components for space and in operating environments where radiation exposure may cause memory failure.
• Freescale Semiconductor: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Electronicstalk email newsletter
• Electronicstalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
