Intel enters market for SPI-based flash

06/26/2006

Austin, Texas -- Intel Corp. plans to enter the market for NOR flash memories based on the serial peripheral interface (SPI). Analysts said the move underscores an industry shift from parallel to serial flash for cost-sensitive applications.

Intel also said it will offer multilevel-cell (MLC) NOR products with a 3-volt supply. Both lines are aimed at embedded markets beyond wireless handsets.

Clare Hirst, flash memory analyst at Gartner Dataquest, said serial flash is expected to compete with low-density parallel NOR flash in a variety of applications. "The market is attracting interest from larger NOR vendors as a high-growth revenue opportunity," she said.

Intel's serial flash is a flexible architecture, with 64- and 8-kbyte memory blocks. The memories are available in 16-, 32- and 64-Mbit densities. There are package savings for SPI flash: The Intel parts are packaged in industry-standard 16-pin small-outline ICs (eight pins for the low-end 16-Mbit part).

Intel is sampling its SPI parts now and will move to volume production toward year's end on a 130-nanometer process. The initial parts are single-level-cell components, but Intel is evaluating MLC, said Allen Holmes, director of NOR marketing at the flash products group.

Earlier this year, Intel rolled embedded NOR flash products based on a 2-bit/cell technology. Those StrataFlash products used a 1.8-V power supply. The new, 3-V MLC products target set-tops, basestations and networking gear.

"Analysts said the move underscores an industry shift from parallel to serial flash for cost-sensitive applications."

For e.Digital that is great news.....

"Intel's serial flash is a flexible architecture, with 64- and 8-kbyte memory blocks."

Not flexible enough...they need to get to 4-kbyte minium.

Basically they're trying to create a serial device out of their NOR flash.

doni