Ramtron International's FRAM memory products have been designed into Pay As You Go utility meters by Ampy Automation Ltd. for Salt River Project, based in Phoenix, Arizona. At present, Ampy intends to deploy as many as 100,000 prepayment meters over the next 24 months for the SRP M-Power program. The meters incorporate a two-way communications capability that offers enhanced functionality, including automatic meter reading , on-line inquiries, remote connect/disconnect, and complex rate structures. The meters also enable customers to exercise more control over their energy consumption, leading to cost savings and more efficient energy distribution.
FRAM's unique performance characteristics are suited for advanced metering products since they require higher data collection rates than meters of the past. FRAM memory offers higher write speed and much higher write endurance than older nonvolatile memory technologies, such as flash and electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).
Ramtron's FRAM memories are a new generation of semiconductor memory that combine high-performance and low-power operation with the ability to store data in the absence of power. Due to the product's unique advantages, FRAM memories can improve a variety of electronic consumer and industrial products. Applications for Ramtron's FRAM memory devices include electronic power meters, automobiles, copiers, printers, security systems, and many other systems that require reliable and high-speed data storage without an external power source. Ramtron is currently working to integrate FRAM with additional analog and mixed-signal circuits to provide high-value semiconductor solutions for its customers.
