Product category:
Memory Devices and Modules
News Release from: Winbond Electronics Corp America | Subject: W25X16 and W25X32
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 27 June 2007
Serial devices provide higher-density
Flash
Serial Flash memories boast capacities of 16 and 32Mbit in space-saving cost-effective 8-pin SOIC packages.
Winbond Electronics Corporation America has moved into production with two new members in its SpiFlash 25X family of serial Flash memories Makers of computer, networking and consumer applications now can take advantage of volume availability of the recently introduced W25X16 and W25X32 SpiFlash memories, with capacities of 16 and 32Mbit, respectively, housed in space-saving cost-effective 8-pin SOIC packages
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 18 May 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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Using Winbond's 0.13um Winstack technology, the W25X16 and W25X32 SpiFlash memories build on the success of Winbond's popular W25X family of SpiFlash memories (initially 1-8Mbit densities).
The new devices feature the popular Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) supporting both "single-SPI" and "dual-SPI" operation to achieve the industry's highest-performance among serial Flash memories.
The W25X16 and W25X32 also include uniform 4Kbyte erasable sectors, in addition to earlier-generation 64Kbyte blocks.
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The smaller 4Kbyte sectors allow for efficient memory allocation and storage of data, and are required in many Intel-based PC applications.
Their packaging, performance and flexibility make the W25X16 and W25X32 ideal serial Flash solutions for a variety of electronic applications, including desktop and notebook PCs, DVD players and recorders, WLAN and DSL equipment, digital TVs, set-top-boxes, printers and industrial-control systems.
The 25X dual-SPI feature, first introduced by Winbond in early 2006, has become a popular method for increasing SPI transfer rates when shadowing code to RAM and, in some cases, even for executing code directly from the SPI interface.
Reflecting the market acceptance of Winbond's groundbreaking work, several other manufacturers have since announced Serial Flash memories with Dual-SPI capability.
The popularity of the 25X line has set the stage for Winbond's next generation of SpiFlash memories featuring quad-SPI.
"Serial Flash offers considerable advantages in pin-count, space and system cost, compared with parallel Flash", says Robin Jigour, Vice President of Serial Flash Marketing at Winbond America.
"However, slower transfer rates have limited their acceptance in some applications.
The dual-SPI feature is an effective first step but much higher performance is still needed before serial Flash can overcome the performance advantages of parallel Flash memories.
"To address this need, Winbond will introduce a new class of high-performance serial Flash memories later this year".
"The new family features quad-SPI with six times the transfer rate of standard serial Flash and greater performance than most parallel Flash memories".
"This new line is targeted at applications that execute code directly from the SPI bus to significantly reduce system costs".
"Winbond will initiate this Quad-SPI family with a 16Mbit Flash memory".
Web-Feet Research, a leading market research firm tracking the Flash memory industry, projects serial Flash shipments in 2007 of 1.4 billion units, and greater than 2 billion units by 2009, surpassing parallel NOR Flash unit sales.
Over this time period 16 and 32Mbit serial Flash applications will grow to 30% of the market.
As applications migrate from parallel to serial Flash, performance-enhancing features such as dual- and quad-SPI will become increasingly important.
The W25X16VSSIG (208mil SO8) and W25X32VSSIG (208mil SO8) are now in volume production.
Alternative packages, including 16-pin SOIC, 8-pad WSON, 8-pin DIP and known good die (KGD) on wafer, will also be supported.
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