Spansion Flash holds most of the firmware responsible for the communications module. Our NOR flash  provides the fast boot, high performance, long term reliability required for GM’s Onstar Telematics units.

The software stored in the Spansion Flash provides the instructions to calculate, gather or report critical information; everything from the battery state of charge, amount of fuel in the vehicle, tire pressure variables stored, etc.  

Another Spansion’s Flash memory headliner was on the instrument cluster board.  Located right next to the Freescale’s display controller, the role of this Flash memory is to store and provide the bitmaps used to generate the graphics, letters, numbers, overlays that is shown on the TFT/LCD displays.

From an electronics perspective, GM has taken a real global village approach in the overall manufacture of the Electric Vehicle.  It was clear the presenters of the session realized that Spansion Flash memory plays an important role in the infotainment and instrument clusters.

Those interested can check out a time-lapse video of the Chevy Volt teardown here.  The real teardown took three days, but the video has compressed it all into five minutes.

• Network connections that transform a vehicle into an extension of your smartphone
• Multiple monitors with independent controls; think driving directions up front with cartoons in the back
• Parking assist with multiple cameras to view 360 degrees around the vehicle
• Heads Up Display (HUD) to provide navigation indicators and alerts in the driver’s field of vision
• Speech recognition to control IVI system features such as navigation and audio

So far these features have only been available in high-end luxury automobiles, but innovation in IVI systems has hit the mainstream and we’re now on the verge of market proliferation.

NOR flash memory is at the center of most IVI systems and is used to store operating systems, user applications and data with increasing complexity. Spansion NOR flash memory boasts the lowest initial latency, highest data integrity and fastest data throughput of all non-volatile memory products. This is vital to the automotive industry, which depends on memory components to keep drivers connected and safe. 

The R-Car Collaboration

Collaboration is vital to enabling advances in infotainment technology – Spansion offers a various range of system solution to the target segments. Let me introduce an example of our solution for IVI Systems, R-Car System Evaluation Board. R-Car is Renesas Electronics Corporation’s Integrated SoC for IVI Systems, and offers an extensive lineup of products to enable implementation of a broad range of solutions for low-end to high-end systems with ARM® Cortex™-A9 and SH-4A core.

Spansion is the member of R-Car Consortium (Japanese website only), which is a membership program that leverages collaboration with a wide variety of partners centering around the R-Car Series in Japan. As R-Car Consortium activities, Spansion develops differentiated Flash memory solution on R-Car System Evaluation Board.

HARDWARE: Validated by the GL flash memory family, the Spansion Memory Convertor Module with PISMO2™ Memory Module provides a flexible flash memory configuration on the R-Car System Evaluation Board without designing a daughter board. The Memory Convertor Module converts external memory I/F of R-Car to PISMO2 Memory Module, and the combination provides comprehensive support for flash memory.

SOFTWARE:  Spansion FFS™ is a full-featured data software suite that is optimized for Spansion parallel and serial NOR flash works. Spansion FFS works with embedded software applications to automatically manage the complexity of reading, writing and erasing flash memory with high levels of performance and reliability. With Spansion FFS, the customer has a complete set of Flash File System solutions directly on R-Car, delivering faster read and write performance without additional cost.

Spansion provides differentiated flash memory solutions to a wide range of embedded systems, in addition to a broad range of NOR flash memory in varying densities, voltages and interfaces. For more information about Spansion flash memory solutions, please post an inquiry on Spansion Customer Support.

Today, multiple industries are at the cusp of rapid technological change, largely based on the integration of next-generation UI technologies and looking forward, I believe the next paradigm shift in UI will be voice recognition. However if history tells us anything, it’s that in order for voice to become mainstream it must be done well – some, myself included, would even argue it needs to be flawless. To date, consumers have proven to have very high expectations for their gadgets and, by extension, very little tolerance for poor performance or user experience. While the problem of voice recognition is being tackled on multiple fronts, including using the vast resources of cloud computing, I believe a hybrid approach is best. In order to ensure the best user experience, voice processing should be done both on-board and in the cloud – especially in embedded applications, where voice recognition is gaining traction at a very rapid pace.

To learn more about our vision for the future of UI applications, check out my contributed article at EE Times (Part I and Part II) or visit Spansion.com to see what companies are doing in the face of this daunting technological challenge.

Designers looking to optimize memory subsystems are embracing the lower-pin-count Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) from Parallel NOR Bus products and even NAND. SPI was introduced in the early 1980s and is growing in popularity throughout the embedded market. Today, many NOR based Quad I/O SPI memories reach 108MHz clock rates to achieve a 54MB/s sustained read throughput, while retaining compatibility with the original interface specified more than 25 years ago. And the latest SPI-NOR products are reaching throughputs of up to 80MB/s by incorporating a DDR read operation.

As system level read throughput requirements continue to increase, we have been faced with the task of optimizing the SPI interface for higher performance. Let’s go over some key improvements that have been made and what we still need to accomplish to maximize SPI interface performance.

System Level & Device Improvements

• Direct CPU Read Access eliminates throughput bottlenecks by direct mapping into the CPU memory map.
• Dual SPI Interfaces double the read throughput while only increasing the interface by six signals.
• Bus Timing Enhancements extend the data valid period for operation at higher clock frequencies.
• Shift from 3V to 1.8V Operating Voltages means shorter transition times are necessary at higher operating frequencies.
• Output Drive Strength Control allows the output drive strength to be optimized in the target environment.

Protocol Improvements

• New Burst Types provide SoC products with the ability to execute code directly out of SPI Flash memories.
• Protocol Minimization during Bus Transaction minimizes the inherent latency disadvantage of a serial interface by reducing the number of clock cycles used to specify the bus transaction.
• Double Down Rate (DDR) allows the elimination of the 8-bit command at the beginning of a read transaction, reducing the command/address overhead to only three clocks.
• Preamble Timing Data assures that all system level and device level skews are understood by the host prior to data capture.

Moving Forward

Increasing read bandwidth alone will not meet increasing demands for higher read throughputs. The dramatic improvements needed to meet demands will require a fundamental reevaluation of the legacy SPI interface.

Significant care needs to be taken during the design of high speed SPI memories to minimize the IO-to-IO skew while simultaneously maximizing the data valid period. While leaded packages (SOIC) are still driving SPI volumes, a significant number of products are shipping in FBGA packages. Signal assignment in FBGA packages is more flexible than for leaded packages and it is likely that future on-die signal placement will be optimized for higher operating speeds without the legacy packaging constraints.

One of the obvious possibilities for improvement is a departure from the six-pin constraint with an increase in the signal count to support an x8 bus width. An x8 SPI interface would have improved read throughput, causing a higher performance interface to be developed.

As we move forward, SPI NOR will continue to be the low cost leader due to minimal pin count, low cost packaging, highly parallel testing infrastructure and, perhaps most importantly, an efficient bus interface that minimizes die area. Fundamental SPI bus constraints set the stage for a next generation NOR interface that will “rebalance” low pin count with higher read throughput. However, the legacy NOR-based SPI offerings will continue to be viable for a wide swath of applications, even after a low pin count, next-generation high performance interface comes to market. At this point there is every reason to believe that the SPI bus will enjoy another 25 years of life as an NVM interface.

Cliff Zitlaw is currently at ESC DesignWest with fellow members of the design engineering community. To register for the conference, visit http://www.ubmdesign.com.

Reliability + High-Performance Graphics = Innovation

Dependable NOR flash memory will be critical to the development of powerful systems that connect drivers with their cars and create a compelling “cockpit” experience. High-performance graphic processing technology will also be essential to achieving this – which is why I am excited about our collaboration with NVIDIA to combine the ultra-realistic 3D capabilities and rendering horsepower of its Tegra mobile processors with the reliability of Spansion flash memory. This partnership will make smooth, realistic and customizable digital instrument clusters a reality, and help us address the industry need for superior automotive infotainment and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

(In case you missed it, Spansion CEO John Kispert recently shared his predictions for upcoming automotive electronics trends with USA Today’s auto blog.)

NOR flash memory currently provides the backbone of most of the new display, safety, vision and control systems seen in cutting-edge automobiles, and the role of our technology is more important than ever. With this collaboration, Spansion GL parallel NOR Flash memory will provide NVIDIA’s automotive processors with fast access for increased interactivity, boot times and enhanced user experience to increase passenger safety and bring the driving experience to life.

Moving forward, high-quality NOR will be the flash memory of choice as automotive OEMs transition to the next generation of interactive systems. Spansion’s partnership with NVIDIA is the foundation for an oncoming wave of infotainment, digital instrument clusters and advanced driver assistance systems that will hit the road from iconic automakers such as Audi, BMW, Lamborghini and Tesla Motors.

Memory Side Bar

• Digital Instrument Clusters: Spansion GL family delivers up to a 45% page-mode read speed improvement over competing parallel NOR Flash solutions.  These systems require the fastest boot times to power on at the push of a button, as well as high performance read to pull graphic data onto the display.

• Infotainment: With the highest density support in the industry, up to 2 Gb, Spansion GL Flash memory delivers the high-quality storage needed for multiple language support and high resolution user interface graphics.

Fault 04 Bedroom Window Door. You know what that means…you can’t set the alarm. However, which bedroom is Fault 04? Should I go back and find the open window? I think I can bypass the fault…but how? Maybe, I should just not set the alarm?

Muttering under your breath, you wonder why there is only a 32-characters in the LCD display? And with a simple 16 button keypad to boot! Where is my iPad-like touch screen?

Home Security Becoming Home Automation

Indeed, your wish is being answered. The home security pad is becoming the central hub for your entire home automation. Home security companies are offering services like ADT Pulse™ that combine home security and automation, thermostat and light control, and video surveillance into one easy-to-use system. That home security pad is replaced by an interactive touchscreen, giving a quick access to your entire home.

In addition to touchscreen interactivity, these new touchpads have networking capability to gather information from devices throughout the house, display video surveillance from multiple cameras and access to the Internet for critical information such as weather, traffic, maps and directions. The systems need to remain small and stylish to fit discretely at entrance points into the home.

Finally, these systems need to interact with remote devices, such as computers, iPhones, iPads and other web-enabled smartphones, to provide remote monitoring and access. Remote security is quickly becoming the new standard in home security.

More Intelligence and More Graphics Means Better Storage Solutions

As these formerly dumb access points transform into more sophisticated information hubs, the embedded systems within the devices will need more complex software and more persistent storage of information. NOR Flash is perfect for these high-demand environments.

Instant-on performance is a must driving fast boot time requirements and the sophistication of the software is increasing the need for higher performance memory and processing.  Enhanced graphics is driving both higher density ranges and additional demand for increased memory performance.  With industry-leading read performance, Spansion GL-S parallel NOR and Spansion FL-S serial NOR Flash delivers the real-time feedback and high reliability required for superior customer experience.

Moreover, with the combination of on-board and off-board intelligence, the embedded devices need to have the sophistication to access the cloud; yet be “ready-to-go” at a moments notice with a quick and valid response.  Error handling and security are critical in order for the system to maintain its primary function as a trusted home security device.

Finally, the future of the user interface will become more elegant as it moves from a “command and control” approach to a more “conversational and interactive” system.  The complexity of the inputs and responses will require increased software intelligence, leading to higher processor and memory requirements.

Electronics announcements have taken center stage at auto shows across the globe, and a record number of automakers attended CES this year where their latest revelations (e.g., Audi’s A3 and Kia’s Uvo) had everyone talking. In a sense, we are witnessing the birth of a new category of enthusiast – the auto-geek – who stands at this pivotal point where the technology and automotive industries intertwine.

Growing demand for interactive connectivity from auto-geeks and traditional consumers alike will accelerate progress in car infotainment and user interface (UI) systems while shaping the future of the auto industry.  Auto-makers who respond most quickly to this demand will be rewarded with competitive advantage, and in some cases, brand allegiance.

Technology’s role as a key product differentiator continues to be evident at the Chicago Auto Show, where automakers and tech innovators are currently gathered to showcase the latest and greatest.  This includes Continental Automotive demoing “Simplify your Drive,” a vehicle that allows the driver to personalize the driving experience. The motor, chassis and infotainment settings can be configured to fit any situation on the road.

While the ability to design a personalized driving experience is an exciting prospect, it also leads to the question:  What if a car could learn from its driver, anticipate needs and just do it for you? Maybe the question isn’t “what if?” but “when?”

Currently, flash memory serves as the backbone of most new display, safety, vision and control systems. Spansion GL parallel NOR Flash memory provides fast data access for increased interactivity, faster boot times and an enhanced user experience that increases passenger safety and brings the driving experience to life. Moving forward, the industry’s reliance on NOR Flash memory will become increasingly evident as the next wave of automotive technology transforms the driving experience. Imagine a car that can suggest a restaurant based on a driver’s habits or sense when they are tired by recognizing facial expressions and tone of voice.

Software-based infotainment systems and UI solutions are rapidly propelling the current wave of developments in automotive electronics, but perhaps the industry will need to explore other opportunities in order to take this technology to the next level. Specialized hardware may provide the increased speed and reliability needed to make the truly intelligent car a reality. In fact, I believe there is huge potential for telematics and UI advances to be driven largely by hardware innovation in the coming years. We’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible, and I for one, can’t wait to see (and contribute to!) the next “car of the future.”

Even in challenging times, it is important for corporations to continue supporting corporate social responsibility (CSR) to build stronger communities, engage with customers and build stronger brands. A 2011 CR Global Best Practices study by Corporate Responsibility (CR) Magazine, the Corporate Responsibility Officer Association (CROA) and NYSE Euronext revealed more respondents are committed to corporate responsibility than in 2010 and a growing number of companies continue to implement programs.

I recently had the opportunity to present Spansion’s donation to the Sunnyvale School District to help fund their Beyond the Bell program. Beyond the Bell is a Winter Camp enrichment program that the Sunnyvale School District and the city of Sunnyvale created to keep students interested in education during winter break. Most camps, such as ones my son has attended in the past, focus on fun or sport activities.  Sunnyvale’s Beyond the Bell features classroom lessons in the morning at Columbia Middle School and hands-on learning experiences at various sites in Santa Clara County in the afternoon. The enrichment program is the only of its kind for public middle school students in the area. Beyond the Bell Winter Camp directly links activities such as golf and dining out to classroom lessons in vocabulary and math. Activities are designed to take education to the next level; for example, math is used to calculate the distance of a golf ball or to double a recipe.

Our customers around the world are increasingly asking about our CSR programs so we will be sharing more about what we are doing in the areas of community involvement, environment, health and safety, and developing innovative products that are energy efficient, easy to use and environmentally friendly.

Apps on Your Fridge by Samsung http://bit.ly/nZXCPo

According to the Zpryme Smart Grid: Smart Appliance Insights report, “from 2011 to 2015, the global household smart appliance market is projected to grow from $3.06 billion to $15.12 billion, respectively with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2011 to 2015 is projected to be 49.0 percent.” With a large market growing larger that fast, companies take immediate notice.  That was definitely evident by the myriad of announcements of smart appliances at the recent International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

There is Smart and There is SMART

As discussed in a recent New York Times article “Not Quite Smart Enough”, smart appliances have a ways to go before they can be really “smart appliances”.  Andrew Martin warned us not to expect a Jetsons lifestyle anytime soon.  Well, let’s look at the types of smartness in today’s appliances and see if he is right.  Typically, you find smartness in four areas:

• Interaction with other appliances and the smart grid
• Interaction with owner’s smartphone as a remote management solution
• A centralized hub in the kitchen to information from the Internet
• An ability to track interesting information, such as food in the refrigerator

The low-hanging fruit is the first three items while the last one is the most difficult.  Integration into a smart meter (and consequently the smart grid) is probably the easiest and most non-invasive.  With additional information about energy consumption devices, you and your utility can better manage your overall energy consumption and manage the load.

The next level of smartness is to allow remote monitoring and access through your smartphone or tablet device. Your washer can tell you when your wash cycle is done and you can easily stop and start the dryer when leaving and returning to your home. No guarantees on wrinkle-less clothes though.  Now, if it could only separate the whites from the colors!

The smart refrigerator promises to be a hub of information from the Internet within the kitchen.  Internet radio solutions like Pandora and Spotify can be streamed and recipes, photos and weather can be displayed. The key question is how easy will it be to manage this additional source of information; will consumers go to their refrigerator as opposed to their tablet or smartphone?

The last level of smartness is the most difficult, but the killer application for smart appliances.  Smart appliances hold the possibility of being information databases about their primary activity.  For example, refrigerators would track the food inside.  Imagine being able to cross-reference a recipe with the contents of your refrigerator while standing in the supermarket.  Or by knowing the upcoming expiration dates, forever ending the science experiments that you are afraid to clean up that exist in the deep recesses of your refrigerator!

Unfortunately, today the information database approach requires significant human interaction – scanning the receipt or the individual bar codes. For someone with specific dietary needs, it may be a good solution, but for most people, we don’t want to work hard to understand our refrigerator. More automated solutions are needed.

The Value Needs to Exceed the Cost

Much of the discussion of smart appliances has been about the technology integration; however, the adoption will explode when the consumer benefit exceeds the cost, including acquisition cost, ease of interactivity, and reduced privacy risks.

Value-added software will be critical for consumers to pay an additional premium.  The increasing complexity of the software will drive more sophisticated memory requirements leading to more use of NOR flash at higher densities. The communications with the smart grid will drive more requirements for performance.

With your smart meter talking directly with your refrigerator, air-conditioning and washer/dryer, valuable data is leaving your home. This information is great to help manage their energy usage, but brings a host of privacy and security issues, particularly around personal information.  For example, will that gallon of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream eaten in the span of last week come back to bite you with higher health insurance payments?  Or will you simply be overwhelmed with coupons from Haagen Dazs trying to muscle in on the action?

Protecting your personal data will require Flash Memory that cannot be tampered with. NOR flash often contains the software that secures access to the content as well as the operating system and other middleware. Designers use the security features within the NOR flash such as permanent lockable region to protect against write or erase access by hackers and a One Time Programmable (OTP) region for sensitive data such as encryption keys and unique IDs.

Someday We Will Have the Jetsons

Unlike Andrew Martin’s assessment in the New York Times article referenced above, smart appliances do indeed have huge potential to change our lives for the better.  The technology exists or will shortly exist to solve many of the remaining challenges to smart appliance adoption and when the value outweighs the costs, adoption will soar.  Now, when can I get “Rosie the Robot” so she can make my bed in the morning?

The Goal is a fictional account of a plant manager, Alex, who is tasked with making his factory profitable and efficient.  After many starts and stops and a very interesting analysis of a Boy Scout hike featuring Herbie – the slowest scout, Alex comes to realize that the final throughput of the factory is determined by the rate of the slowest operation in the sequence (“the Herbie”).

You Have to Program the NOR Flash At Least Once

So what does this have to do with NOR Flash? NOR Flash, whether parallel or serial, will store software that runs an embedded system.  At some point in the manufacturing process, it will be programmed at least once if not multiple times and maybe more when the final product is put into service.  So the speed at which you can program the Flash memory is an important factor when selecting a device and ultimately contributes to the profitability of your products.  You need to optimize the programming step in the manufacturing process to ensure that it has sufficient capacity to be close to the required demand.

Notice that the flow is balanced with demand, not capacity.  If the programming step becomes the bottleneck in the manufacturing process, an hour lost there is an hour lost by the entire system.  It will be the place where valuable inventory builds up and, if the manufacturing line is not optimized, will cause excessive inventory in other locations of the factory until programmed chips can be completed.

3X Faster Programming Speeds

Programming speed is critical to address this concern. For example, Spansion® FL-S serial Flash memory and Spansion GL-S parallel Flash memory have a programming speed of 1.5Mbytes per sec. It is 3x faster than the closest competing devices in the industry.

With up to one third of the programming time of its competitors, the Spansion FL-S and GL-S Flash memories are much less likely to become “the Herbie” in the manufacturing process, can enhance the throughput in a balanced manufacturing environment and/or reduce the costs in the programming step by requiring less programming stations.

While pin count, performance and capacity may be on the top of your mind when selecting a NOR Flash product to put into your embedded system, don’t forget that the product needs to be built with profit in mind and faster programming speeds can also help reduce the indirect costs of making the product.

It is interesting to find myself working for another company that’s innovating in a way that will help boost our customer’s profitability.