Synchronous/Asynchronous NOR Flash

[luiHS]

 
Hi.

I am preparing my PCB design for the new RT1020 NXP microcontroller. I have the schematics of the RT1050 evaluation board, and there they use a Hyperflash memory chip S26KS512SDPBHI02, this is BGA and I prefer to replace it with a TSOP for my PCB.

https://www.mouser.es/ProductDetail/Cypress-Semiconductor/S26KS512SDPBHI020?qs=%2fha2pyFaduiwVxqN9yVwVUBI%252bDaP2X9CZLG%252b38AFs%252bJXoLH6%2fnutpw%3d%3d

I looked for replacements in Mouser, and found the SST39VF010-70-4I-WHE-T, this is a NOR Flash, 1 Mbit, 128x8 Parallel, TSOP32.

https://www.mouser.es/ProductDetail/Microchip-Technology/SST39VF010-70-4I-WHE-T?qs=sGAEpiMZZMtI%252bQ06EiAoGzAIDceP6I%2fj%252b6Dy3eckpG4%3d


The only difference I see between the two memory chips is that one is Synchronous and the other is Asynchronous.

Is this difference important, can I replace the memory chip without problems?

Greetings.

[helius]

Different command formats and timing

[luiHS]

 
Ok thanks.
NOR synchronous flash, I only found FBGA, so probably I'll just put the QSPI and the SD card for the boot.

Or maybe I try to also put the Hyperflash FBGA, maybe it is not so hard to make the PCB for this chip, but only if I can use a 2 layer PCB. Its a 1mm pitch, 5x5 ball.

[krho]

Why 2 layer? The 4 layer boards are ~2times the price of 2 layer?

[Siwastaja]

Can't* do that on 2 layers. Use 4 layers at least.

*) When someone says something can't be done, I tend to take it as a challenge .

While you definitely can kludge something up and through huge amount of tedious work get it functional - possibly with narrow margins - it's not the easy way.

Funny thing is, people less experienced in PCB tend to assume that having more layers is more "difficult", more "complex", or at least super cool.

In reality, the more you have layers, the easier everything is. It feels almost cheating. Naturally, routing is far easier. Signal integrity comes easily with dedicated planes. Thermal conductivity increases.

You could always do 16 layers even for a LED blinker. Only the cost prevents this.

Luckily, 4 layer PCB is not too expensive in China anymore. So 2-layer is applicable in simple LED blinkers, and in more complex design only when you are very experienced and have a lot of time to tweak the design - exactly the opposite what people assume.

[abyrvalg]

luiHS, I’m 99.9% sure that RT1020 supports more common boot devices like async NOR or NAND (with different BOOT_CFG pins strapping). Check the datasheet/trm. The TSOP48 NANDs are dirt cheap and big.

[luiHS]

luiHS, I’m 99.9% sure that RT1020 supports more common boot devices like async NOR or NAND (with different BOOT_CFG pins strapping). Check the datasheet/trm. The TSOP48 NANDs are dirt cheap and big.

Thank you, I have already ordered the RT1020 Evaluation Board from Mouser, I will receive it on Tuesday by Fedex. I also wait for the data sheet and the Evaluation Board Manual, for the 26th of the current month.

There are already some NXP documents, like these two on Hardware Development and Boot Configuration with the QSPI, but there are no details on whether you can use Asynchronous Hyperflash.

https://www.nxp.com/docs/en/nxp/user-guides/MIMXRT1020HDUG.pdf
https://www.nxp.com/docs/en/application-note/AN12108.pdf

In any case, I will try the three boot options, with SD card, QSPI and Hyperflash, and if there are no big differences I will choose QSPI and SD, for an easier design of my PCB. I have never worked with FBGA, and although these hyperflash have a 1mm pitch and a 5x5 ball array, I do not know if it can be used with a 2 layer PCB. I also ordered from Mouser, one FBGA hyperflash to test it on my PCB design.

[mac.6]

SDK has been released some days ago if you want to take a look at it.
Ask your question about flash on nxp community forum, they are quite reactive for serious question.

[krho]

It's a shame that the ones in TQFP don't have the LCD interface.

[luiHS]

SDK has been released some days ago if you want to take a look at it.
Ask your question about flash on nxp community forum, they are quite reactive for serious question.

Thanks, I'm already downloading the SDK for the RT1020, and I'll check it with MCUXpresso. At this time it is the only thing available to work with RT1020, there is no data sheet or reference manual available yet.

I will try to ask about the Hyperflash in the NXP forum. I have already asked on other occasions and, in general, participation is good.

[luiHS]

 

I have downloaded and installed the SDK for RT1020. There are many Source Code Examples  and some technical documentation, but the Peripheral tool is not available and there is no graphical access to configure the Clock. For me, the Peripheral tool is essential to configure, for example, interrupts, SPI, SDIO and DMA.

Also not yet available, the Data Sheet, the Reference Manual and the User Manual of the evaluation board. I'll have to wait until the 26th for the documents, and I do not know when to update the SDK. Long time SDK for RT1050 also do not include the Peripheral tool.