STMicroelectronics' SNAPHAT Detachable Lithium Power Source Takes On Distinctive Yellow Look.Business & Technology Editors GENEVA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 25, 2000 STMicroelectronics (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : STM (Scanning Tunneling Microscope) A microscope that can image down to the atomic level. An STM uses a piezoelectric tube with a tiny sharp tip at the end that is moved within nanometers of the object being sampled. ) today announced that it is to produce its SNAPHAT detachable lithium power source in a distinctive yellow package, identifying it as a unique and popular approach for surface-mount NVRAM (Non-Volatile RAM) May refer to dynamic RAM (DRAM) and static RAM (SRAM) chips that are backed up by a battery or to non-volatile chips such as flash memory. See non-volatile memory, dynamic RAM, static RAM and solid state disk. solutions. The choice of the yellow color was made to aid identification of the SNAPHAT, which contains a battery. The color change applies to both the ZEROPOWER(R) SNAPHAT, which contains a battery only, and the TIMEKEEPER(R) SNAPHAT, which contains both a battery and a 32kHz quartz crystal. Electrical connection to the 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. is made through four pins that connect to the four press-fitted sockets on each end of the SOIC. Critical contact points between the pins and sockets are gold-plated to resist oxidation and to increase conductivity. The beauty of the SNAPHAT is that it snaps onto an SOIC after that device is mounted to a circuit board. The components in the SNAPHAT top, either the battery, or battery and crystal, are spared exposure to the damaging high temperatures of reflow (1) The process of heating and melting the solder that has been screen printed onto a printed circuit board in order to bond chips and other components to the board. Surface mount chips (SMT) use the reflow method. Contrast with wave soldering. See also reflowable text. solder. In addition, SNAPHAT's simple design and easy installation yields production savings. The SOIC contains a static RAM and control circuitry, which deselects the SRAM See static RAM. SRAM - static random-access memory and switches over to the battery. Some of the other features available in the SOIC are a Real Time Clock, Alarm Clock functions, Watchdog Timer, Battery Low Flag, and Power on Reset. The combination of a SNAPHAT and the SOIC form a non-volatile memory that has wide use in electronic products that include workstations, data communication systems, industrial equipment, and e-Commerce devices. In addition to protecting the battery and crystal from heat, the detachable SNAPHAT top allows easy battery replacement, extending the non-volatile data retention beyond the SNAPHAT's 7 to 10-year rating. The ZEROPOWER SNAPHAT is available with a 48 or 120mAh lithium battery to be snapped on a 28-pin SOIC package. The TIMEKEEPER SNAPHAT offers the same battery options, as well as the crystal, and can be snapped on 28- and 44-pin packages. About STMicroelectronics STMicroelectronics (formerly SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics) is a global independent semiconductor company, whose shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) World's largest marketplace for securities. The exchange began as an informal meeting of 24 men in 1792 on what is now Wall Street in New York City. , on the ParisBourse and on the Milan Stock Exchange Milan Stock Exchange The largest regional stock exchange in Italy, facilitating more than 90% of the country's trading volume. . The Company designs, develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) and discrete devices used in a wide variety of microelectronic applications, including telecommunications systems, computer systems, consumer products, automotive products and industrial automation and control systems. In 1999, the Company's net revenues were $5.056 billion and net earnings were $547 million. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion