SSTI SoundThinking Inc

SST Announces Production of Small-Footprint, High-Performance 8-Mbit SPI Serial Flash Memory Device SST25LF080A 8-Mbit Serial Flash Product Features High-Clock Frequency in an 8-Lead SOIC Package SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SST (Silicon Storage Technology, Inc.) , a leader in flash memory technology, today announced production availability of its 8-Mbit Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) serial flash memory device, the SST25LF080A. Based on SST's proprietary, high-performance SuperFlash technology, the SST25LF080A is the latest addition to the successful 25 Series of serial flash memory products. Ideal for such applications as hard disk drives, printers, security systems, industrial controls, 802.11a/b/g and wired networking equipment, SST's 8-Mbit serial flash device features a 33-MHz max clock frequency and a typical standby current of only 8 microamperes, thus significantly improving performance while lowering power consumption. The 33-MHz clock frequency has also been extended to SST's 2-Mbit and 4-Mbit serial flash devices, which are also currently available in volume production. The company expects to add the 33-MHz speed option to the 1-Mbit and 512-Kbit serial flash devices in the second half of 2004. SST's 8-Mbit serial flash device offers several advantages not available in alternative solutions, including an Auto Address Increment (AAI) operation and small sector erase capability. The 8-Mbit serial flash memory device is offered in a small footprint, 8-pin SOIC package with 200 mils body width. "Our 8-Mbit serial flash memory devices offer an optimum balance of features, performance and package size for a variety of applications," said Michael Briner, senior vice president of SST's Application Specific Product Group. "Delivering our 8-Mbit serial flash devices in a 33-MHz max clock frequency and in an 8-pin package enables SST to deliver a high-performance serial flash solution that helps reduce overall system cost by saving board space and eliminating costly redesigns with density migration." SST's serial flash memory products incorporate a four-wire, SPI-compatible interface. When compared to other nonvolatile memory interfaces, the SPI- interface serial flash products use fewer pins to transfer data to and from a system CPU, thereby creating an overall reduction in board space, power consumption and cost. Like all of SST's products based on SuperFlash technology, the SST25LF080A features small sector erase capability, allowing designers to seamlessly partition code or data into 4-KByte sectors, resulting in faster write times and an overall increase in system performance. Because of its low power consumption and small footprint, the SST25LF080A is an ideal code storage solution in applications such as hard disk drives, wireless and networking equipment. SST's 8-Mbit serial flash memory devices feature a unique AAI fast- programming mode, enabling a reduction in total flash memory programming time by up to 50 percent when compared to single-byte programming modes. The AAI program instruction allows multiple bytes of serial flash memory to be programmed without re-issuing subsequent addresses and commands after the first data byte program sequence. As a result, new programs can be loaded into flash using fewer commands, thus reducing programming times. This advantage is especially useful during the manufacturing process, where fast production line throughput is essential. SST's 25 Series of serial flash memory products range in density from 512 Kbit to 16 Mbit, all containing the same footprint, providing customers with a seamless migration path to higher densities for their systems. This capability allows designers to create product lines with new levels of functional flexibility and dramatically lower system costs when compared to systems using parallel flash products housed in traditional 32-pin or 48-pin packages. Pricing and Availability The 8-Mbit device (SST25LF080A) is available now in volume production. Pricing for the SST25LF080A is $1.70 in 100K unit quantities. For more information about SST and its family of serial flash memory products, visit the company's Web site at http://www.sst.com/ . About SuperFlash Technology SST's SuperFlash technology is a NOR type, split-gate cell architecture which uses a reliable thick-oxide process with fewer manufacturing steps resulting in a low-cost, nonvolatile memory solution with excellent data retention and higher reliability. The split-gate NOR SuperFlash architecture facilitates a simple and flexible design suitable for high performance, high reliability, small or medium sector size, in- or off-system programming and a variety of densities, all in a single CMOS-compatible technology. About Silicon Storage Technology, Inc. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, SST designs, manufactures and markets a diversified range of nonvolatile memory solutions, based on proprietary, patented SuperFlash technology, for high volume applications in the digital consumer, networking, wireless communications and Internet computing markets. SST's product families include various densities of high functionality flash memory components, flash mass storage products and flash microcontrollers. SST also offers its SuperFlash technology for embedded applications through its world-class manufacturing partners and technology licensees including 1st Silicon (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Grace Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (Grace), IBM, Motorola, Inc., National Semiconductor Corporation, NEC Corporation, Oki Electric Industry Co. Ltd., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., SANYO Electric Co., Ltd., Seiko Epson Corp., Shanghai Hua Hong NEC Electronics Co., Ltd., Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC), Toshiba Corporation, Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation, and Winbond Electronics Corp. TSMC offers embedded SuperFlash under its trademark Emb-FLASH. Further information on SST can be found on the company's Web site at http://www.sst.com/ . Forward-Looking Statements Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements regarding flash memory market conditions, the company's future financial performance, the performance of new products and the company's ability to bring new products to market that involve risks and uncertainties. These risks may include timely development, acceptance and pricing of new products, the terms and conditions associated with licensees' royalty payments, the impact of competitive products and pricing, and general economic conditions as they affect the company's customers, as well as other risks detailed from time to time in the company's SEC reports, including the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003. For more information about SST and the company's comprehensive list of product offerings, please call 1-888/SST-CHIP. Information can also be requested via email to or through SST's Web site at http://www.sst.com/ . SST's head office is located at 1171 Sonora Court, Sunnyvale, Calif.; telephone: 408-735-9110; fax: 408-735-9036. NOTE: The SST logo and SuperFlash are registered trademarks of Silicon Storage Technology, Inc. Emb-FLASH is a trademark of TSMC. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders. Key Features of The SST25LF080A Serial Flash Product -- Low Power Consumption -- Active current: 7 milliamperes (typical) -- Standby current: 8 microamperes (typical) -- Small Footprint -- 8-pin SOIC (200 mils body width) -- Fast Erase and Byte-Program -- Chip-erase time: 70 milliseconds (typical) -- Sector- or block-erase time: 18 milliseconds (typical) -- Byte-program time: 14 microseconds (typical) -- Superior Reliability with SST's SuperFlash Technology -- 100,000 cycles endurance (typical) and greater than 100 years of data retention -- Flexible Erase Capability -- Uniform 4-KByte sectors -- Uniform 32-KByte overlay blocks -- Serial Interface Architecture -- SPI compatible: Mode 0 and Mode 3 -- Auto Address Increment (AAI) Programming for Fast Production Throughput -- 33-MHz Max Clock Frequency -- Single 3.0V-3.6V Read and Write Operation -- Hardware Write Protection Through WP# -- Software Write Protection Through Block-Protection bits in Status Register -- End-of-Write Detection -- Hold Pin (HOLD#) -- Temperature Range -- Industrial: -40 degrees Celsius to +85 degrees Celsius For More Information Contact: Sasha Afanasieff Silicon Storage Technology, Inc. 408-522-7310 Steve Gabriel Porter Novelli 408-369-1500 x627 DATASOURCE: Silicon Storage Technology, Inc. CONTACT: Sasha Afanasieff of Silicon Storage Technology, Inc., +1-408-522-7310, or ; or Steve Gabriel of Porter Novelli, +1-408-369-1500, ext. 627, or Web site: http://www.sst.com/

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