MX29LV160DBTI-70G

The MX29LV160DBTI-70G is a 16Mbit (2M x 8 or 1M x 16) parallel NOR Flash memory device manufactured by Macronix International, belonging to the MX29LV series of 3V-only standard parallel NOR Flash products. The device operates from a single 2.7V to 3.6V supply voltage and provides a maximum random access time of 70 ns.

The memory is organized with an asymmetrical boot block architecture featuring 4 banks. The bottom-boot (B) variant places the smallest sectors at the lowest addresses. The sector architecture consists of 16 KB + 2 x 8 KB + 32 KB + 31 x 64 KB sectors, totaling 35 sectors. The device supports x8 (byte) and x16 (word) selectable bus widths via the BYTE# pin.

Key features include CFI (Common Flash Interface) compliance, sector protect/unprotect capability, temporary sector unprotect, erase suspend/resume, hardware RESET# pin, write protect (WP#) pin, and an optional 256-byte OTP security region. Programming performance includes byte program time of 9 μs typical, word program time of 11 μs typical, sector erase time of 0.7 s typical, and chip erase time of 15 s typical.

The device is packaged in a 48-pin TSOP (18.4 x 12.0 mm) and operates over the industrial temperature range of -40°C to +85°C. It is RoHS3 compliant with MSL-3 (168 hours) rating.

The MX29LV160DBTI-70G is a parallel NOR Flash memory device that uses a standard command/address/data interface for read, program, and erase operations.

Read Operation: After power-up or reset, the device defaults to read mode. The host provides the address on the address bus (A0-A19 for word mode, A0-A19 with A-1 for byte mode) and asserts CE# and OE# low. Data appears on the data bus (DQ0-DQ15 in word mode, DQ0-DQ7 in byte mode) after the access time (70 ns max). The device supports random access reads without any command sequence.

Command Interface: All write operations (program, erase, configuration) use a command-driven protocol. Commands are written by driving specific data patterns to designated address sequences (e.g., 555h/AAAh for standard JEDEC command set). The command sequencer validates the command and initiates the requested operation.

Program Operation: To program a byte or word, the host issues a Program command sequence. The device internally generates the high voltage needed for Fowler-Nordheim tunneling, injecting charge into the floating gate of the selected cell. Program completion is indicated by the Data Polling bit (DQ7) or the Toggle bit (DQ6). Byte program time is 9 μs typical, word program time is 11 μs typical.

Erase Operation: Erase operations use Fowler-Nordheim tunneling in reverse, removing charge from floating gates. The device supports sector erase (4K/8K/32K/64K byte sectors), chip erase, and erase suspend/resume. Sector erase time is 0.7 s typical. During erase, the same Data Polling and Toggle bit mechanisms indicate completion.

CFI (Common Flash Interface): The device implements the CFI standard, allowing host software to discover device parameters (density, voltage, timing, sector layout) programmatically rather than hard-coding them. The CFI query is accessed via a specific command sequence.

Boot Block Architecture: The MX29LV160DB variant uses a bottom-boot architecture where the smallest sectors (16K + 2x8K + 32K) are located at the lowest addresses, suitable for processors that boot from address 0.