Macronix Flash Memory Family Includes Highest Level of Automotive Safety

Macronix International Co., Ltd. announced the high-performance and efficiency MXSMIO family of flash memory has been expanded to include optimal-safety features for automotive applications. The MXSMIO flash devices, which feature multiple-I/O interfaces, are now compliant with the ISO 26262 ASIL D standard, requiring much higher levels of safety in vehicles’ electronics.

Automotive Safety Integrity Level D (ASIL D) refers to the systems in vehicles that require current highest safety level. Many automotive-electronics applications come with high-risk functions, such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), driver-monitoring systems and autonomous driving. ASIL D-compliant devices are designed to avoid those risks.

“Safety first; after that, all other necessities fall into place,” said Roger Chen, safety manager, Macronix International. “The new MXSMIO members’ primary focus – and this is something our automotive-electronics customers also prioritize – is safety, which we’ve ‘baked into’ the flash memory family. By now adhering to the ASIL D standard, we’re ensuring automotive safety is addressed thoroughly and well in advance.“

The MXSMIO family’s ASIL D certification means that the flash memory is verified for the highest level of automotive safety as defined by ISO 26262 from the International Organization of Standards. ISO 26262 is an international standard with the title ‘Road Vehicles – Functional Safety.’ It was developed to ensure the safety of vehicles’ electrical and electronic systems throughout their lifecycles, and to provide guidelines for designing those systems, including safety-related functions, processes, methods and tools.

The MXSMIO family provides 2 kinds of multi-I/O interfaces, giving designers broader flexibility in product development. The OctaFlash  MX25/66_UM/LM/UW/LW series features the x8IO interface, whereas the QSPI MX25/66/U/L_G series uses a Quad I/O interface.

The family’s array of additional features includes:

• 3V or 1.8V operation for power efficiency
• OctaFlash or QSPI interface
• Error correction code (ECC) providing content protection
• Bus cyclic redundancy check (CRC), protecting data transmission during high frequency operation
• Real-time error correct signal and ECC/CRC status register, delivering error status to the host

Availability:
The MX25/66_UM/LM/UW/LW and QSPI MX25/66/U/L_G series are available.