Motorola's FLASH MCUs Remember for Half a Century

Motorola is has extended the data retention of its Flash microcontrollers (MCUs) with the new 68HC908GR8 and the 68HC908GR4 chips. These little fellas extend the memory of the embedded flash memory to 100,000 write/erase cycles and a 50-year data retention (running at 55 degrees Celsius). As a result, most embedded systems that require non-volatile storage of temporary or changing data no longer need separate electrically erasable read only memory (EEPROM) chips. The new chips feature Flash memory that can encode 64 Bytes in two milliseconds and an entire array in as little as one second. The Flash memory also has virtual EEPROM capability, programming at three to five volts. Motorola figures the new chips can be used in coin validators, security system control panels, building automation, thermostats, dashboards and industrial control instrumentation. The chips have an advanced phased locked loop (PLL) feature that allows a lower cost and lower speed (32 kHz) crystal while still providing high speed operations. Other features of the new chips include an on-chip timebase module that eliminates the need for a real-time clock and auto wakeup circuitry that Motorola says allows optimum code density with C programming. The 68HC908GR4 and the 68HC908GR8 are available now in 28 PDIP, 32 QFP and 28 SOIC packages. For volumes less than 50,000 pieces, the suggested list price is (US)$2.25 for the 68HC908GR4 and (US)$3.30 for the 68HC908GR8.