Microchip expands EUI-48 family with cascadeable I2C EUI-48 serial EEPROM device

CHANDLER, USA: Microchip Technology Inc. has announced a new, cascadeable I2C serial EEPROM device with pre-programmed EUI-48-node addresses. This 24AA025E48 device expands Microchip’s existing family of EUI-48 devices in I2C, SPI and UNI/O buses.

Also EUI-64 compatible, the new device enables designers to add MAC addresses to their designs on the fly. The address pins on this device further enable designers to add more memory to their application, by allowing them to cascade up to eight EEPROM devices onto the I2C bus.

Designers can add these capabilities without changing their existing I2C serial EEPROM device, and without having to pay for and register a block of code with the IEEE. Costs associated with serialization or programming are also eliminated, and the devices can be purchased without restrictions on volume, allowing designers to buy codes only when needed.

Networking and wireless applications often require large amounts of memory for buffering data, as well as storing information, look-up tables and configuration settings. These types of applications also need MAC addresses, to provide a physical address that is identifiable on the network. The 24AA025E48 device meets these needs, and each device ships with unique, write-protected code.

“As networking and wireless applications continue to grow over the next several years, the demand for MAC addresses is expected to follow,” said Randy Drwinga, vice president of Microchip’s Memory Products Division. “The 24AA025E48 device from Microchip provides quick and easy access to MAC addresses, at low costs. Its address pins enable users to quickly add an EUI-48 node address to an existing application, without replacing their current I2C EEPROM device.”

The 24AA025E48 device is supported by the MPLAB Starter Kit for Serial Memory Products (part #DV243003, $79.98). The kit is available for purchase today.

The 24AA025E48 device is available in a 6-pin SOT-23 or 8-pin SOIC package, for $0.22 each in 10,000-unit quantities, for both package options. Samples can be ordered today.