The FM25C160 — a 16-kbit ferroelectric RAM (FRAM) — has been qualified to AEC-Q100, the Automotive Electronic Council's Stress Test Qualification for ICs. The device is the third FRAM to receive AEC-Q100 qualification, according to Ramtron International Corp. The company is also developing various FRAM configurations to meet the Grade 1 extended operating range (-40°C to 125°C). A number of automotive system suppliers have already designed the FM25C160 into smart airbags. The device is well suited to such applications because of its 5-V operation and serial peripheral interface (SPI). The FRAM's NoDelay writes allow the collection of more data at higher frequencies, so that automotive safety systems can act on the timeliest information available (see the Figure).
A direct hardware replacement for equivalent EEPROMs, the FM25C160 reads and writes at bus speeds up to 20 MHz with virtually unlimited endurance (1 trillion writes), 45-year data retention, and low power consumption. It operates in the industrial temperature range of -40°C to 85°C. The device comes in a "green" 8-pin SOIC package. For more information, go to www.ramtron.com.