Datasheet

4.2 FlexMemory
Freescale’s new FlexMemory technology provides an extremely versatile and powerful solution for designers seeking on-
chip EEPROM and/or additional program or data flash memory. As easy and as fast as SRAM, it requires no user or system
intervention to complete programming and erase functions when used as high endurance byte-write/byte-erase EEPROM.
EEPROM array size can also be configured for improved endurance to suit application requirements. FlexMemory can also
provide additional flash memory (FlexNVM) for data or program storage in parallel with the main program flash.
The key features of FlexMemory include:
• Configurability for designer:
• EEPROM array size and number of write/erase cycles
• Program or data flash size
• EEPROM endurance of 10M write/erase cycles possible over full voltage and temperature range
• Seamless EEPROM read/write operations: simply write or read a memory address
• High-speed byte, 16-bit, and 32-bit write/erase operations to EEPROM
• Eliminates the costs associated with external EEPROM ICs, and the software headaches and resource (CPU/flash/
RAM) impact of EEPROM emulation schemes
• Storage for large data tables or bootloader
• Read-while-write operation with main program flash memory
• Minimum write voltage 1.71V
4.2.1 Programmable Trade-Off
FlexMemory lets you fully configure the way FlexNVM and FlexRAM blocks are used to provide the best balance of
memory resources for their application.
The user can configure several parameters, including EEPROM size, endurance, write size, and the size of additional
program/data flash.
In addition to this flexibility, FlexMemory provides superior EEPROM performance, endurance, and low-voltage operation
when compared to traditional EEPROM solutions.
• Enhanced EEPROM — Combines FlexRAM and FlexNVM to create byte-write/erase, high-speed, and high-endurance
EEPROM
• FlexNVM — Can be used as:
• part of the EEPROM configuration,
• additional program or data flash, or
• a combination of the above. For example, a portion can be used as flash while the rest is used for enhanced
EEPROM backup.
• FlexRAM — Can be used as part of the EEPROM configuration or as additional system RAM
4.2.2 Use Case Example
The MCU has 128 KB program flash, 32 KB SRAM, and FlexMemory has 128 KB FlexNVM and 4 KB FlexRAM
(maximum EEPROM size). The application requires 8 KB additional program flash for a bootloader and 256 bytes of high-
endurance EEPROM. The user allocates 8 KB of FlexNVM for the additional program flash and the remaining 120 KB for
EEPROM backup.
The user defines 256 bytes of EEPROM size from the FlexRAM. In this example, the EEPROM endurance results in a
minimum of 2.32M write/erase cycles.
Features
K30 Family Product Brief, Rev. 8, 5/2011
Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. 7