Selection, Cross Referencing & Quality of Serial EEPROM Selecting your Serial EEPROM When choosing the correct EEPROM for your application, a variety of system design decisions must be taken into account. These decisions are based upon the answers to the following questions: - How many serial bus drivers are available on the microcontroller?
- How many I/O ports are available on the microcontroller?
- What are the different bus interfaces in the other system peripherals?
- How much memory is required for the application?
- What is the maximum speed of the serial communications bus?
- In order to determine the best package for the application, what is the physical size available?
- Finally, are there any specific voltage or temperature constraints?
When choosing a Serial EEPROM, there is a balancing act between cost and density, but the system software application will usually drive this requirement. Usually the amount of memory required to complete a project is estimated before the design is completed. The final density purchased is usually 50% larger to allow for future growth. Read more Cross Referencing Your Serial EEPROM Q How would someone find a Microchip cross reference for a competitor’s EEPROM already in use?
Microchip has two different tools available for this particular task. This first tool is software based and is called the Memory and Analog Parts Software (MAPS). Learn how you can download this software free of charge at the webpage dedicated to the MAPS Software. An additional tool that is available for this task is the Serial EEPROM Cross Reference Guide. This powerful tool enables the decoding and encoding of device part numbers from Microchip and several other serial EEPROM manufacturers, simplifying the choice for compatible products. Microchip's cross reference makes the conversion simple, fast and accurate. This PDF file can be downloaded from the following link: Serial EEPROM Cross Reference Guide. Read more | 
