2 pin EEPROM!

Anyone seen these before?

http://www.atmel.com/devices/AT21CS01.aspx

An EEPROM that is bus-powered, so it only needs GND + DATA.

Sadly they really missed a trick by creating a 2 wire EEPROM and then only selling it on 3, 4 or 8 pin packages! If they'd put it in an 0603 resistor package then we could have hacked it into all kinds of devices where there was an unfitted LED or pull-down resistor :)

Man, an eeprom in a 603 or 805 resistor package would be so cool...

Though those are 1kb - only 128 bytes of EEPROM :-/

only 128 bytes of EEPROM :-/

I know... but still - 2 pins! :)

The two pins aren't even on the same side of the SOT23, so you can't even squeeze it onto a spare 0805 spot. It's so weird seeing six NC pins on an 8 pin package...

Maxim offers a 1kb OneWire part, Ds24DS2502, in wafer scale packaging about the size of a 0603 (1.6x0.9 mm).

Nice - thanks for the link. Looks like it may have been out for a while too, so I wonder how Atmel can make such a big deal about being the first! And it's proper OneWire too.

It'd be fun to see if the wafer scale package is usable - I've been scared off solder-ball type stuff so far :)

I've been scared off solder-ball type stuff so far :)

I agree. Great for volume production but impossible for us little guys to prototype with manually. Unfortunate increasing number of parts now becoming available only these types of packages.

It seems that the AT21CS01 is slightly cheaper than the DS2502. (At least, comparing the prices on Digikey...) . Maybe this could be of importance in some case.

Atmel sees the unique serial number as a central feature, I think - they were really going on about GUIDs and the verification options available for memory chips and shit like that when their Atmel truck was in town. So I think that's the angle they're making a big deal about it from?