Embedded storage
An embedded memory (also embedded RAM, English embedded memory or embedded RAM ) describes a medium-sized data memory (approx. 100 bytes to 2 megabytes), which is integrated on a chip together with other parts of a microprocessor or microcontroller , such as the arithmetic unit .
Advantages of this architecture compared to external memory modules are, above all, lower delays due to line delay times and wider data buses , so that data can generally be made available to the processor more quickly. However, the integration on chip also has disadvantages. Larger memories require a correspondingly large amount of space on the chip and the increased complexity (higher number of transistors) increases the probability of production errors (see yield ). In terms of the amount of storage, embedded storage is therefore more expensive than external storage. In practice, therefore, depending on the application, a balance is made between speed gains and costs, how much embedded memory is used.
Typical memory technologies for embedded memories are, depending on the requirements, static RAM , for example for the cache and the registers , and dynamic RAM ( embedded DRAM , eDRAM ).
See also
literature
- Chung-Yu Wu: Embedded Memory. In: Wai-Kai Chen (Ed.): The VLSI handbook. CRC Press, 2007, ISBN 978-0849341991 , pp. 53-1-53-20.