Winbond: Serial NAND Flash Memory With 1Gb Device for Automotive Applications

Winbond Electronics Corporation, supplier of semiconductor memory solutions, announced the W25N01JW, a high-performance, 1.8V Serial NAND flash memory IC delivering 83MB/s via a Quad Serial Peripheral Interface (QSPI).

Winbond’s new Serial NAND technology also supports a two-chip dual quad interface which gives a maximum data transfer rate of 166MB/s.

This fast read operation, some four times faster than existing serial NAND memory devices offer, means that the 1.8V W25N01JW chip can replace SPI NOR flash memory in automotive applications such as storage for instrument clusters or the center information displays (CIDs).

This is important for automotive OEMs because the adoption of more sophisticated graphics displays in the instrument cluster, and larger display sizes of 7 inches and above in the CID, is increasing system memory requirements to capacities of 1Gbit and higher. At these capacities, serial NAND flash has a markedly lower unit cost than that of SPI NOR flash, and occupies a smaller board area per megabit of storage capacity.

SPI NOR flash has been the preferred memory technology in automotive displays for many years because of its high read speed, which supports the fast boot requirements of automotive user interfaces, and because of its high reliability and long data retention. By raising the data transfer rate of its serial NAND technology to 83MB/s – matching the read speed of automotive SPI NOR flash – Winbond has ensured that the W25N01JW can support fast boot operation and the demanding requirements of sophisticated graphics applications.

The W25N01JW also meets automotive requirements for quality and reliability. Built with high-reliability single-level sell (SLC) memory technology, and implementing 1-bit ECC (ECC) on all read and write operations, it complies with the endurance, retention and quality requirements of the AEC-Q100 standard and relevant JEDEC specifications.

The W25N01JW device operates from -40°C to 105°C and retains data for 10 years at 85°C after 1,000 program/erase cycles, whereas eMMC can only retain data for a fraction of that time under these conditions even when used in SLC mode, which are today widely used for storage in the CIDs of high-end vehicles.

“Cars’ large and attractive displays need higher memory capacity, beyond the ‘sweet spot’ of SPI NOR flash, which, good for up to 512Mb,” said William Chen, deputy director of the flash product marketing division, Winbond. “For systems that require high-speed memory in capacities of 1Gb or higher, Winbond’s high-performance Serial NAND flash is the new best choice for automotive OEMs, offering a combination of lower unit cost, smaller size and excellent reliability and data retention.”

The W25N01JW is available for sampling in a capacity of 1Gb.

A two-chip implementation in dual-quad I/O mode provides 2Gb of memory capacity and a maximum data transer rate of 166MB/s.

The chip is available in industrial grade and in an extended-temperature automotive grade version operating at up to 105°C. It is compatible with standard SPI NAND flash protocols. It is housed in standard 8mmx6mm WSON and TFBGA packages that are footprint-compatible with standard SPI NOR flash products.