Serial Flash Memory Chip Erase/Write Cycles

[SDM(ix)]

hi every one.
For a project, i need to use a serial memory like flash that have at least 2 megabytes for storing data. The problem i have is that i want to use the memory for regular data storing like every 1sec. I've seen a parameter in some serial flash chips is called number of write/erase cycles and it's about 100,000 times. if i understand correctly, if i rewrite data in memory for that times, the chip will damaged and don't work anymore! i want to use serial flash for storing data like a RAM. every time, i will write about 160 byte and every second. please help that which type of serial memory i have to use?

Thanks
Saeid

 

[barry]

You can't use flash ROM as RAM (it's called ROM for a reason). Well, you can, but only until it wears out. It is not intended to be used as RAM, sorry.

Do you really need flash? If you are constantly writing new data, why do you need it to be non-volatile? Maybe you should have RAM PLUS a flash device which you only write to occasionally. If you REALLY need non-volatile RAM, you should consider using battery-backed RAM, but I don't believe they make serial, battery-backed RAM,

 

[SDM(ix)]

hi barry and thanks for quick replay
Actually my device is need a memory to use it as data logger for least 6 hours that have 1sec write interval. and when the memory is getting full, the data will written at beginning and old data will rewritten. i seen some products that using 2MB serial flash with W25Q16BV part number for this purpose. i can store data in RAM and i'm not worried for data lost when power off. because the device is never get off power and always on! But is any serial RAM in production? can you suggest me some part numbers?

Thanks for your time
Saeid

 

[barry]

Microchip and On Semi, among others, make serial SRAM upto 1Mbit. I'm not sure anyone makes anything bigger than that. I assume you don't want parallel RAM because of the number of pins required.

 

[keith1200rs]

I may be wrong, but the write limit on flash is for each location I think. If you write 160 bytes every second then it will be quite a while (3.5 hrs on 2MB) before you rewrite the same location again on a large flash device, assuming you write until the flash is full then restart at the beginning again rewriting old data.

Keith

 

[barry]

I may be wrong, but the write limit on flash is for each location I think. If you write 160 bytes every second then it will be quite a while (3.5 hrs on 2MB) before you rewrite the same location again on a large flash device, assuming you write until the flash is full then restart at the beginning again rewriting old data.

Keith

I think you may be right. (Or write ). Regardless, this might be a better question for the manufacturer (or careful reading of the data sheet).