The NM29A040/NM29A080 serial flash memory architecture and its application

This paper describes the 4 and 8 Mbit serial flash memory devices developed by National Semiconductor. The serial flash architecture evolved from a need to store and retrieve large amounts of data in a simple, straightforward manner. The four-wire MicroWire/sup TM/ interface used by this device makes the serial flash an ideal memory solution for systems with modest performance requirements. Examples of applications that can take advantage of the serial flash architecture include voice recording, fax and data storage, data logging, and more. This paper first discusses some of the market and system requirements that led to the development of the serial flash. Then the architecture is described in detail. Finally, the paper presents some specific applications for which the serial flash is well suited.