Continue to Site

Welcome to EDAboard.com

Welcome to our site! EDAboard.com is an international Electronics Discussion Forum focused on EDA software, circuits, schematics, books, theory, papers, asic, pld, 8051, DSP, Network, RF, Analog Design, PCB, Service Manuals... and a whole lot more! To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

Register Log in

Why can't the higher-end faster devices have embedded flash ?

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

shaiko

Advanced Member level 5
Joined
Aug 20, 2011
Messages
2,644
Helped
303
Reputation
608
Reaction score
297
Trophy points
1,363
Activity points
18,302
Most microcontrollers today have internal flash memory from where the program loads.
However, the higher end faster devices ( sometimes from the same product family ) must use external memory to load from.

What is the reason for such a design ?
Why can't the higher-end faster devices have embedded flash ?
 

Re: SRAM vs SRAM + FLASH

As far as I'm aware of, it's not a matter of speed rather than memory capacity. Higher end processors are often running embedded Linux, needing x Megabyte program storage. Typically, they also utilize external dynamic RAM.

As another point, high density flash and high speed processors seems not to go well together, technlogy-wise. But you still get self-contained single chip uPs in the high end segment from various vendors.

Referring to the question title (you didn't mention SRAM in your question at all), for highest execution speed, program code needs to be copied to SRAM.
 

Re: SRAM vs SRAM + FLASH

high density flash and high speed processors seems not to go well together, technlogy-wise.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I meant - my question is - why ?
 

Re: SRAM vs SRAM + FLASH

That's exactly what I meant - my question is - why ?
Click to expand...
It's what I hear frequently. It's also true for combining FPGA with flash. Altera said, if they would start a higher capacity embedded flash FPGA (> small MAX II/MAX V), it must be a multichip design. It's also obvious, that high end processors with flash have rather disappointing flash endurance data. Ask the semiconcuctor guys, why.
 
  • Like
Reactions: shaiko

    S

    shaiko

    Points: 2
    Helpful Answer Positive Rating
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Part and Inventory Search

Welcome to EDABoard.com

Sponsor

Back
Top