Taiwanese chip company Winbond Electronics is targeting smart wearables and mobile devices with a memory IC that offers large code storage capacity and active mode power savings.

The W25Q64NE is a 1.2V SpiFlash NOR flash IC with a 64Mbit density.

Winbond was the first flash memory manufacturer to introduce a 1.2V SPI NOR flash device that operates over an extended 1.14 to 1.6V supply-voltage range for compatibility with a single alkaline AA battery cell’s output-voltage profile. By extending the 1.2V NOR flash family to include a 64Mbit part, Winbond addresses the requirements of smart devices with a larger code footprint.

The W25Q64NE is available for sampling and comes in the USON8-3×4 and WLCSP standard packages and pin-outs.

The 1.2V parts are said to reduce active mode power consumption by a third compared with equivalent 1.8V devices. Typically, 99% of total power consumption in mobile and wearable devices is in active mode so, using these flash parts, manufacturers of devices with a small battery – such as wireless earbuds or fitness wristbands – can extend run-time between battery charges.

“Battery run-time has become a crucial differentiating factor in consumer purchase decisions for new product types such as wireless earbuds and smartwatches,” said a Winbond spokesperson. “This means that the new W25Q64NE gives manufacturers of these devices an instant way to add value to their products.”

In active read mode at an operating frequency of 50MHz, a 1.8V SpiFlash part’s operating current of 4mA results in power consumption of 7.2mW. Operating at 1.2V and drawing the same read mode current of 4mA at 50MHz, the W25Q64NE’s power consumption is 4.8mW, providing an instant 33% power saving by replacing 1.8V flash.

Apart from power saving, a different system design has additional benefits. As the SoC process evolves to more advanced technology, the IO voltage of the latest SoCs is becoming lower than 1.8V and will require a level-shifter to connect to a traditional 1.8V/3V SPI flash. This results in additional costs and adds to the complexity of the design.

By using a 1.2V flash, the SoC can connect directly to the SPI flash without a level shifter, reducing the BoM and PCB space.

The standard SPI NOR interface has a maximum data transfer rate of 42Mbyte/s. Its flexible architecture includes 4kbyte sectors with uniform sector and block erase.

Winbond Electronics is headquartered in the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP), and has subsidiaries in the USA, Japan, Israel, China, Hong Kong and Germany.