Ramtron Releases New Products in Its Highly Integrated Processor Companion Family; High-Performance MCU Support Functions on One Chip with Nonvolatile FRAM.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 11, 2004 Ramtron International Corporation (Nasdaq:RMTR RMTR Redesigned Missile Tracking Radar ), the leading supplier of nonvolatile ferroelectric Refers to a material that functions similarly to a ferromagnetic material in that it can be polarized into two states. Ferroelectric devices generally do not have any "ferrous" (iron) in them. See FeRAM and ferroelectric capacitor. semiconductor products, today introduced several new members of its Processor Companion family. The FM3204, FM3216, FM3264, and FM32256 devices combine a nonvolatile ferroelectric random access memory (storage) Ferroelectric Random Access Memory - (FRAM) A type of non-volatile read/write random access semiconductor memory. FRAM combines the advantages of SRAM - writing is roughly as fast as reading, and EPROM - non-volatility and in-circuit programmability. (FRAM (1) (Ferroelectric RAM) See FeRAM. (2) (Ferromagnetic RAM) A non-volatile memory that records microscopic bits on a magnetic surface. See MRAM. FRAM - Ferroelectric Random Access Memory ) with a processor supervisor and additional peripheral functions. Ramtron's Processor Companion family provides commonly needed system functions for a variety of automotive, consumer, communications, industrial, metering, and computing applications. The FM32x Processor Companion family includes a choice of 4Kb, 16Kb, 64Kb, or 256Kb of nonvolatile FRAM with a processor supervisor that features a programmable low-VDD reset, a programmable watchdog timer and a manual reset function. Additional peripherals include a nonvolatile event counter, a lockable 64-bit serial number area and a general-purpose comparator comparator Instrument for comparing something with a similar thing or with a standard measure, in particular to measure small displacements in mechanical devices. In astronomy, the blink comparator is used to examine photographic plates for signs of moving bodies. that can be used for an early power-fail (NMI (NonMaskable Interrupt) A high-priority interrupt that cannot be disabled by another interrupt. It is used to report malfunctions such as parity, bus and math coprocessor errors. NMI - Non-Maskable Interrupt ) interrupt or other purpose. The FM32x differs in only one way from the previously announced FM31x Processor Companion in that it does not include a real-time clock (RTC See real time clock. ). "We found a number of customers that would like to develop hardware platforms for end markets in which some need timekeeping functions and others do not, but which are otherwise very similar," stated Mike Alwais, vice president, FRAM products, at Ramtron. "For example, an electric meter may require time-of-use-based tariffs in one country but not in another. However, the hardware needed to measure electric power is otherwise the same. Another example is an aftermarket car radio, which will usually have a clock, but some OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) The rebranding of equipment and selling it. The term initially referred to the company that made the products (the "original" manufacturer), but eventually became widely used to refer to the organization that buys the products and car models have the clock centrally located and displayed on the dashboard rather than on the radio," he said. Excluding the clock, the FM32x is identical to the FM31x. It offers a common pinout, and even the relevant register locations are identical so that software written for one version will work with the other. Engineers that standardize their designs on the FM31x and FM32x families can design a common PCB PCB: see polychlorinated biphenyl. PCB in full polychlorinated biphenyl Any of a class of highly stable organic compounds prepared by the reaction of chlorine with biphenyl, a two-ring compound. and mount the relevant component depending on the end market. Implementing these complementary but distinct functions using an advanced 0.35-micron manufacturing process allows them to share a common interface and fit in a tiny 14-pin SOIC (Small Outline IC) A small-dimension, plastic, rectangular, surface mount chip package that uses gull-wing pins extending outward. See gull-wing lead, SOJ and chip package. package, eliminating the need for multiple parts on a system board. An industry-standard 2-wire bus is used to access the memory and control all functions. All devices operate from 2.7 to 5.5V and are available in 4Kb, 16Kb, 64Kb, and 256Kb densities. Product Features: Processor Supervisor -- provides a host processor with two basic functions: detection of power supply fault conditions and a watchdog timer to escape a software lockup See hang and abend. condition. A reset pin (/RST) drives the processor-reset input during power faults, power-up and -down, and software lockups. The reset pin also provides a switch debounce function to facilitate manual reset inputs. Early Power-Fail Interrupt -- an early power-fail warning can be provided to the processor well before VDD See Vcc. drops out of specification. The comparator is used to create a power-fail interrupt (NMI). This is ideal for saving critical data in nonvolatile FRAM. Serial Number -- a separate memory location to write a 64-bit serial number is provided. It is a writeable, nonvolatile memory block that can be locked by the user once the serial number is set. Once locked, the serial number can't be altered. Event Counter -- offers the user two battery-backed event counters, which are 16-bit each, cascading to one 32-bit counter, including a programmable edge detect. This unique counter can be used to log system intrusions (tamper events) or virtually any other general-purpose event. Backup Power -- the event counters are intended to be permanently powered. When the primary system power fails, the voltage on the VDD pin will drop. When VDD is less then 2.5V, the event counters will switch to the backup power supply on VBAK. The backup source can be either a battery or a capacitor. Trickle Charger -- facilitates capacitor backup. The VBAK pin can optionally provide a trickle charge current. Data is nonvolatile, so it won't be lost if the capacitor fails. Memory -- the Processor Companion family is provided with choices of 4Kb, 16Kb, 64Kb, or 256Kb of nonvolatile FRAM memory. FRAM memory technology replaces system SRAM See static RAM. SRAM - static random-access memory or nonvolatile memory, since it reads and writes at bus speed with no delay and offers unlimited write cycles. Pricing and Availability Samples are available for the FM3204, FM3216, FM3264, and FM32256 in a 14-pin SOIC package, with prices starting at $2.04 for 4Kb, $2.34 for 16Kb, $2.71 for 64Kb, and $3.97 for 256Kb for 10,000-piece quantities. For more information about FRAM products, go to http://www.ramtron.com/products/producthome.htm. For 300-dpi product photos and technical diagrams, go to http://www.ramtron.com/press/photoarchive.htm. About Ramtron Ramtron develops and markets patented FRAM memories, a new generation of semiconductor memory that combines high-performance and low-power operation with the ability to store data in the absence of power. Due to the product's unique advantages, FRAM memories are expected to revolutionize a variety of electronic consumer and industrial designs. For more information about Ramtron and its products, contact: Communications Department, Ramtron International Corporation, 1850 Ramtron Drive, Colorado Springs, Colorado The City of Colorado Springs is the second most populous city (after Denver) in the state of Colorado and the 48th most populous city in the United States.[4] The city is the county seat of El Paso County. , USA, 80921. Telephone is 719-481-7000 or 800-545-FRAM (3726); FAX is 719-488-9095; e-mail address is info@ramtron.com. Homepage is http://www.ramtron.com. "Safe Harbor Safe Harbor 1. A legal provision to reduce or eliminate liability as long as good faith is demonstrated. 2. A form of shark repellent implemented by a target company acquiring a business that is so poorly regulated that the target itself is less attractive. " Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and of 1995: Statements herein that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" involving risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to: the effect of global economic conditions, shifts in supply and demand, market acceptance, the impact of competitive products and pricing, product development, commercialization and technological difficulties, and capacity and supply constraints. Please refer to Ramtron's Securities and Exchange Commission filings for a discussion of such risks. |
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