F-RAM in motion control systems Within the field of industrial automation, motion control is used for precisely controlling the position, velocity, and torque of a rotary or linear electromechanical devices. General Motion Control (GMC) is widely used in both discrete and process manufacturing and is commonly found in packaging, printing, textile, semiconductor production, and assembly industries. The basic architecture of a motion control system contains the following components: Setpoint generation The desired output or motion profile for a control loop to act upon. Transformation of control signal A drive or amplifier is required to transform the control signal from the motion controller into a higher electrical current or voltage that is presented to the actuator. Output motion An actuator such as a hydraulic pump, air cylinder, linear actuator, or electric motor for output motion. Feedback sensors Optical encoders and resolvers that return the position and/or velocity of the actuator to the motion controller in order to close the position and/or velocity control loops. Mechanical components Transform of actuator motion into the desired motion from gears, shafting, ball screw, belts, linkages, and linear and rotational bearings. In the world of high-performance factory automation systems, F-RAM memory solutions from Ramtron help meet the demand of ever tighter integration between motion and sequential control. Why use F-RAM? In the world of industrial automation, high speed, high accuracy, and flexibility in system configuration are paramount. The Ramtron parallel F-RAM memory chip, for example, offers superior 70ns write speed, high endurance, and true nonvolatile design. This standalone F-RAM chip is the perfect memory design for rugged, high-throughput industrial automation. F-RAM is resistant to shock and vibration and is impervious to memory loss during unplanned power down events. F-RAM does not require a battery and uses minimal current (15mA active current, 15µA standby current), which eliminates reliability concerns, functional disadvantages, and system design complexities of battery-backed devices like SRAM. Contact an F-RAM applications engineer to find out how F-RAM can improve your next high-performance industrial automation design. framinfo@ramtron.com or call 719-481-7000

F-RAM for intelligent pressure transmitters The process industries rely on the measurement of pressure to keep their facilities running. In process control, the measurement of pressure occurs in a variety of contexts, particularly the measurement of pressure exerted by liquid, steam, and gas. Traditional pressure gauges, switches, and transducers are being increasingly upgraded to pressure transmitters. This upgrade brings greater reliability and enables automation in process plants. Pressure transmitters assume the existence of pressure and transmit this pressure in quantitative value to an instrument, device, or controller that is capable of acting on this value. They also have the capability of tracking historical of data, a significant development that has enabled "intelligent" pressure monitoring. Intelligent pressure transmitters are increasingly popular because of the complexity of today’s applications. These smart transmitters offer advanced features such as two-way communication, remote calibration, and self-diagnostics, which reduce the time, effort, and expense associated with system start-up and maintenance. These features enable higher accuracy, greater reliability, and more advanced communication protocols. Smart pressure transmitters combine sensing technology and intelligent electronics in a single package. Nonvolatile F-RAM memory—with its fast writes, high endurance, and low power—is an integral element in these smart devices, saving: Configurable parameters Transmitter ranges, signal types, fluid properties, unit selections, identification data, etc. are stored in the F-RAM and retained when power is removed from the transmitter. The transmitter is ready for immediate use when power is restored. Calibration/compensation data Automatic self-calibration routines on advanced pressure transmitters check outputs against internal voltage signals, which are then referenced back to the factory calibration data stored in the F-RAM. Event and data logging F-RAM stores event data used by the pressure transmitter’s active diagnostics system. This allows the analysis of transmitter history and events so that the system can determine when maintenance is needed and where the problem is. F-RAM is the perfect IC solution for harsh, industrial environments where pressure transmitters are used in conditions that do not permit direct attachment of a sensor gauge (e.g. extreme temperatures, hygienic requirements, or chemical resistance). F-RAM can be used as an event and data logging device, where pressure transmitters send pressure data to other devices or controllers that act upon the data. Why use F-RAM? Intrinsic safety Smart transmitters certified as "intrinsically safe" prevent the release of energy that can cause the ignition of flammable material. This requires a memory device such as F-RAM that has very low operating currents (less than 3.6mA). Reduced variability F-RAM's fast writes are integral to reducing variability in computing process measurements. This produces more accurate measurements for diagnostics, greater system control, and improved profitability. Reduced microprocessor (MPU) overhead Most smart pressure transmitters include an MPU to perform complex calculations. As the processing becomes more intensive in intelligent pressure transmitter applications, F-RAM’s fast write advantage alleviates the MPU’s overhead burden. Contact a Ramtron applications engineer to find out how F-RAM can improve your next process control design. framinfo@ramtron.com or call 719-481-7000

F-RAM in digital hearing aids In a recent report, nearly eight million Americans wear hearing aids, and this figure is rising as the aging population continues to grow. The total worldwide market is approximately 20M units today, with anticipated growth of 50M units by 2015. Today's digital hearing aids offer superior comfort and performance over older analog technology. The typical digital hearing aid provides enhanced features using multiple Digital Signal Processors (DSP) at the core. Digital hearing aids are available in a variety of popular styles, from behind-the-ear (BTE), in-the-ear (ITE) to completely-in-the-canal (CIC) designs. Improved hearing through digital technology Digital hearing aids offer specific programming for different acoustical conditions, such as quiet situations, background noise reduction, music listening, and directional setting for one-on-one conversation. The hearing aid can be 'tuned' to the user's specific hearing impairment and the unit is capable of configuring itself to a particular environment. Common features include: Digital Feedback Reduction (DFR) provides reduction or elimination of feedback through the use of a cancellation system or notch filtering. Digital Noise Reduction (DNR) processing is intended to reduce gain, either in the low frequencies or in specific bands, when steady-state signals (noise) are detected. Digital Speech Enhancement (DSE) increases the relative intensity of certain segments of speech. Directional Microphones can improve the effective signal-to-noise ratio. This is often by enhanced further by the use of DSP technology. F-RAM is ideal for use in digital hearing devices. Nonvolatile memory can read software algorithms designed to perform precise DSP actions.This process happens very rapidly with several million calculations occurring in the hearing aid each second. Why use F-RAM? Digital hearing aids need nonvolatile memory to store the parameters of each individual user. Typically, the parameters are read frequently, but are not written very often. F-RAM is ideal for digital hearing aid usage because of its low power consumption. F-RAM consumes around 1/60th of the power of EEPROM when writing 64 kilobits (Kb) of data. Operating voltage for F-RAM in hearing aid applications is typically 1.8V to 2V. Contact an F-RAM applications engineer to find out how F-RAM can improve your next digital hearing aid design. framinfo@ramtron.com or call 719-481-7000

Part Description FM21L16 2Mb Bytewide 3V F-RAM Memory FM22L16 4Mb Bytewide 3V F-RAM Memory FM24C256 256Kb Serial I2C 5V F-RAM Memory FM24C512 512Kb Serial I2C 5V F-RAM Memory FM25H20 2Mb Serial SPI 3V F-RAM Memory