New-Tech Magazine Europe | Dec 2015 Digital edition

Macronix Expands Flash Portfolio for Wearables

Heko Arndt, Macronix

erial Flash Memory Series MX25R Offers Ultra-Low Power and Wide Voltage Range Macronix International Co. Ltd., a leading global vendor of non-volatile semiconductor memory devices, has recently introduced its new MX25R Serial NOR flash product family. The devices are specifically aimed at next- generation consumer wearables in the context of the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT). The MX25R product family features an ultra-low-power mode and densities ranging from 512Kb up to 64Mb, with plans to move up to 128Mb, 256Mb and 512Mb in the near future. Power consumption in the MX25R family is 60 percent lower than traditional solutions, with a wide Vcc span of 1.7V to 3.6V to support diverse requirements of wearable devices. The new family fits within the Macronix portfolio of serial NOR flash products ranging from 512Kb to 1Gb. Serial NOR Flash Memory for Wearables Macronix’s MX25R series caters S NOR

specifically next-generation consumer wearables. It supports the standard Serial NOR flash memory interface and industry-standard 8-pin layouts. With its very compact die, this allows for very small package dimensions such as the USON (Ultra Thin Small Outline No Lead), WSON (Very Very Thin Small Outline No Lead), WLCSP (Wafer Level Chip Scale Package), and also KGD (Known Good Die) solutions for stacked-die SIPs (System in Package). The market prospects for wearables, in their first incarnations coming as sensor-enabled wristbands and rings, or smart watches equipped with fitness and location trackers, are a promising sub-segment of the IoT category of systems and services. According to new research from International Data Corporation (IDC), IoT systems and services promise a potential compound annual growth rate (GAGR) of 78.4 percent. By 2018 annual sales for wearables may exceed a total unit volume of 112 million units according to a recent report published by US market researcher IDC. This market dynamic has encouraged Macronix to develop to

novel product solutions of memory devices for wearable applications to further expand its leading position as a vendor of non-volatile memory devices. “The key factor for wearables to gain rapid popularity is designing them with ultra-low power consumption and in a small form factor,” states Min-Cheng Lin, Deputy Director of Macronix’s Segment Marketing Department. “The next generation of memory devices will progress in the following directions: standardized interfaces prioritizing ease of data import, smaller and slimmer form factors and a power supply design focusing on ultra-low voltage and energy consumption.” Internet of Things and Wearables Judged by its dominating presence at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, NV, the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) provides a forward- looking perspective for the anticipated wide-area networking between people and things in a real-world environment. In this view, IoT should be understood as a generalized category and a

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