STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, has introduced an optimal memory solution that combines the speed and density of serial flash with the byte-level flexibility of EEPROM to enhance performance and efficiency at the smart edge.

ST announced on the 8th that it has launched a hybrid memory Page EEPROM that combines the power efficiency and endurance of EEPROM with the capacity and speed of flash memory to support applications with size and power constraints.

The new Page EEPROM supports increasingly sophisticated features and meets the growing storage needs of embedded applications that need to run data-intensive edge AI algorithms. For example, in behind-the-ear hearing aids, Page EEPROM can reduce material costs and create slimmer, more comfortable products.

In addition to wearables, Page EEPROM is suitable for a wide range of industrial and consumer products, including healthcare devices, asset trackers, and electric bikes. “As the intelligent edge rapidly evolves, requirements for storage density, performance, and power consumption of embedded memory are changing rapidly,” said Philippe Ganivet, EEPROM product line manager at ST. “Our new Page EEPROM is the perfect ultra-low power memory to complement microcontrollers for battery-powered remote IoT modules,” he said.

Patrick Kusbel, owner of BitFlip Engineering, one of the first customers to use the new memory IC, said: “ST’s Page EEPROM is the perfect non-volatile memory solution to achieve our ambitious goals for GPS trackers, IoT devices, and other designs that demand high performance, high reliability, small size, and low power. The M95P is up to 50x faster than our previous parts yet uses one-tenth the power, and can support 500,000 write cycles versus an average of 100,000 for previous parts while being five times more reliable. It is a real breakthrough.”

ST’s Page EEPROM family significantly increases storage capacity over standard EEPROM devices, offering densities of 8 Mbit, 16 Mbit, and 32 Mbit. Built-in smart page management allows byte-level write operations for processes such as data logging, and supports page/sector/block level erase and page programmability of up to 512 bytes for efficient firmware over-the-air (OTA) updates. The devices also support buffer loading to program multiple pages simultaneously, reducing software loading times during production. Data read speeds are up to 320 Mbit/s, about 16 times faster than standard EEPROMs, and write cycle endurance is several times higher than conventional serial Flash, reaching 500,000 cycles.

Additionally, Page EEPROM features a new peak current control feature that minimizes power supply noise and extends the operating life of battery-operated equipment. Write current is lower than most typical EERPOMs, and a deep power-down mode with fast wake-up capability can reduce current to less than 1μA.

Page EEPROMs provide long-term data retention of 100 years, ensuring long life. These devices are covered by ST’s 10-year product longevity assurance program, which ensures long-term product availability.

The X-NUCLEO-PGEEZ1 expansion board and X-CUBE-EEPRMA1 software package are also available now to enable users to learn how to interact with the Page EEPROM and integrate the new device into their application designs. The software also includes a demo application that demonstrates how to test the memory’s hybrid architecture and quickly implement a proof of concept.

The M95P08, M95P16, and M95P32 Page EEPROMs are currently in production, with the 8Mbit M95P08 available for $0.50. The X-NUCLEO-PGEEZ1 is available for a bargain $40 from eSTore.

For further information, please visit www.st.com/page-eeprom.