25AA010A/S16K

25AA010A/S16K Application Field and Working Principle

The 25AA010A/S16K is a serial EEPROM memory device manufactured by Microchip Technology Inc. It is used in a wide range of applications, such as data retention, data storage, and code storage. The 25AA010A/S16K is a medium-density device, meaning it contains up to 16k-bytes of total memory. This device is particularly useful when multiple small data blocks need to be retained, such as configuration settings, user interface data, or even small code snippets.

The 25AA010A/S16K is optimized for low-power operation, using serial communication for all read and write operations. It is often used in battery powered devices, where conserving power is critical. The device is also highly reliable, providing up to 1,000,000 erase/write cycles and a minimum data retention of 100 years.

Features

• Up to 16KB Memory
• Serial Communication Interface
• Low-Power Operation
• High Reliability with 1,000,000 Erase/Write Cycles and 1,000,000 Hours Data Retention
• Programmable Write Protection
• 3-wire Serial Programmable Interfaces: SPI, QSPI, MICROWIRE

Pinouts

The 25AA010A/S16K is an 8-pin, SOIC package. The pinouts are laid out as follows:

• Pin 1 – Chip Select
• Pin 2 – Serial Data Out/Data I/O
• Pin 3 – Serial Data In
• Pin 4 – Serial Clock
• Pin 5 – Write Protect
• Pin 6 – VCC
• Pin 7 – GND
• Pin 8 – Hold/Reset

Working Principle

The 25AA010A/S16K uses the Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), Keyboard Controller Interface (MICROWIRE), or Quad SPI (QSPI) as its serial communication protocols. This protocol is a full-duplex, master/slave communication interface that uses three lines: a serial clock (SCLK), a serial data input (SI), and a serial data output (SO).The device supports several serial protocols and memory access modes, including Toggle bit, Page write, Byte Write, and Random Read. All operations begin by asserting the Chip Select line, which is the pin that identifies the serial peripheral device. The serial interface must then be configured for the desired command transfers.After the serial interface is configured, data is clocked into the device and then stored in the EEPROM’s memory array. Data can be read back by toggling the Chip Select line and issuing the appropriate read command. The read command returns the data on the data output line.Optionally, write protection can be applied to selected EEPROM memory blocks by asserting the write protect pin. When write protection is applied, memory locations can no longer be altered, making the data on those locations secure.Finally, the device can be reset in two ways. The first is by cycling power on the device, and the second is by asserting the Reset pin. This pin resets the device to its initial state and data retention is maintained.