Dual-Power Supply SPI NOR Flash Enables High Performance and Ultra Low Power Consumption in 1.2V SoCs

Source:  Electronic Design

Editor：Conrado Canio

As advanced SoCs continue to push into lower process nodes of 10nm and below, and operating voltages have dropped to 1.2V or even lower. This creates a compatibility challenge when interfacing with traditional NOR Flash, which often relies on 1.8V or 3.3V power supplies. Integrating such high-voltage I/O structures into a low-voltage SoC increases both die size and cost.

A more efficient approach is to use NOR Flash that supports a 1.2V interface. Two main architectures have emerged: pure 1.2V Flash (both core voltage and I/O at 1.2V) and a dual-voltage solution with a 1.8V core voltage and 1.2V VIO interface voltage. The pure 1.2V devices work well for low-to-mid performance applications, but it may not be able to handle other high performance applications that need a two-voltage solution. The dual-voltage option offers an alternative solution, which delivers high-speed operation while significantly reducing power consumption.

For instance, GigaDevice's GD25NE SPI NOR Flash incorporates power-down modes that cut current draw to just 12 µA in standby and 200 nA in deep power-down. It also offers a 40% faster page program time compared to conventional 1.8V devices.

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