The new devices are self-powered, eliminating the need for a power source or Vcc pin, with a parasitic power scheme over the data pin. These devices provide best-in-class ultra-low power standby of 700nA, 200µA for write current, and 80µA for read current at 25 degree Celsius—delivering just one-third of the power of leading competitors.

With confined spacing in smaller IoT, wearables, battery and cable identification applications, Atmel’s AT21CS01/11 devices eliminate the need for external capacitors and rectifiers with its parasitic power scheme over a single data pin. Additionally, the new devices have an ultra-high write endurance capability to allow more than one million cycles for each memory location to meet the requirements for today’s high-write endurance applications.

The AT21CS01/11 products include a simple product identification with a plug-and-play 64-bit unique serial number in every device, making the device ideal for smart, connected devices in today’s IoT world including wearables such as smart fitness bands and healthcare devices. The devices also deliver industry-leading electrostatic discharge (ESD) rating (IEC 61000-4-2 Level 4 ESD Compliant), so applications such as cables, consumables, etc. can tolerate exposure to the outside environment or direct human contact while still delivering flawless performance.

The new devices follow the I2C protocol, allowing for an easy migration from existing EEPROM with less overhead and capability to connect up to eight devices on the same bus. The AT21CS01 devices offer a security register with a 64-bit factory programmed serial number and an extra 16-bytes of user programmable and permanently lockable storage, delivering a guaranteed unique serial number for inventory tracking, asset tagging and can permanently protect the data if needed.

There are two variants of the device available to support different voltage requirements. Atmel’s AT21CS01 is targeted for low-voltage applications operating at 1.7V- 3.6V. For applications that require higher voltage ranges such as Li-Ion/polymer batteries, the AT21CS11 will support 2.7V- 4.5V operating range and is the ideal product to meet IEEE1725 specifications for electronic identification of battery packs.