Atmel AT45DB321D 32 MB Flash 8 pin SOIC

[PFM]

Hello again all,

I did do a search I swear...... Has anyone looked at using this Atmel Flash Memory???? 4 MEGA BYTES of flash memory with an SPI interface. Forget piling up little 24LC256 parts just plug one of these in.

I am not sure how to deal with the memory size at the moment but it looks like some fun. Can you say super logger.....

PFM

 

[demonicpicaxeguy]

yep looked at them but i think the reason for the 24lcXXX series being popular is that they come in DIP package, AT45DB321D i don't think comes in a dip package

 

[hippy]

Also the AT45DB321D is 2V7-3V6 only, there's a complex command set to get one's head around, it does not appear as easy to use as I2C and there'd perhaps be a lot of effort to get it working ( plus few others here with experience of using it ).

 

[MFB]

Not sure how to drive the AT45DB321D, but the following link includes Basic Stamp code for a member of the same Atmel family of serial memory devices.

www.emesystems.com/pdfs/elfOWLop.pdf

Still looks more doable than trying to do a native SD card interface for an X1 (or even X2?)

 

[PFM]

MFB,

Thanks for the link that will help move things along. I decided to order two of these just to see what they would do.

PFM

 

[PFM]

More info from the same source,


http://www.owlogic.com/BS2flash.htm

PFM

 

[MFB]

Please let us know how things go with this device. It would be great if you managed to break the EEPROM storage limit, without having to deal with the complexity of interfacing to SD cards.

 

[MFB]

8-pin serial mass storage

I still think PFM's approach using a big Atmel serial flash device is worth more consideration. see http://www.owlogic.com/BS2flash.htm for an introduction on driving it using Basic.

 

[hippy]

Having looked at the BS2 example code it looks far more doable than reading the datasheet suggests. Break the code down into modules and simple subroutines so a PICAXE programmer sets a few variables to do what they want, calls the routines, gets the result back then I think one's onto a winner there.

 

[MFB]

Hippy,

Thanks for the encouraging comments. This family of Atmel devices also seem readily available from Farnell Electronics. For example, they sell a 45DB041B-SU (512K x 8, in an 8-pin SOIC package) for only £1.68! If anyone is interested the part number is 109-5794.