FM24CL04 
4Kb FRAM Serial Memory 
 
Features 
4K bit Ferroelectric Nonvolatile RAM  
•  Organized as 512 x 8 bits 
•  Unlimited Read/Writes 
• 
45 Year Data Retention 
•  NoDelay™ Writes 
•  Advanced High-Reliability Ferroelectric Process 
 
Fast Two-wire Serial Interface 
•  Up to 1 MHz maximum bus frequency 
•  Direct hardware replacement for EEPROM 
 
Description 
The  FM24CL04  is  a  4-kilobit  nonvolatile  memory 
employing  an  advanced  ferroelectric  process.  A 
ferroelectric  random  access  memory  or  FRAM  is 
nonvolatile  and  performs  reads  and  writes  like  a 
RAM. It provides reliable data retention for 45 years 
while  eliminating  the  complexities,  overhead,  and 
system level reliability problems caused by EEPROM 
and other nonvolatile memories.  
 
Unlike  serial  EEPROMs,  the  FM24CL04  performs 
write  operations  at  bus  speed.  No  write  delays  are 
incurred.  Data  is  written  to the memory array in the 
cycle after it has been successfully transferred to the 
device.  The  next  bus  cycle  may  commence 
immediately.   
 
These  capabilities  make  the  FM24CL04  ideal  for 
nonvolatile  memory  applications  requiring  frequent 
or rapid writes. Examples range from data collection 
where the number of write cycles may be critical, to 
demanding  industrial  controls  where  the  long  write 
time  of  EEPROM  can  cause  data 
loss.  The 
combination  of  features  allows  more  frequent  data 
writing with less overhead for the system.  
 
The FM24CL04 provides substantial benefits to users 
of serial EEPROM, yet these benefits are available in 
a  hardware  drop-in  replacement.  The  FM24CL04  is 
available in an industry standard 8-pin package using 
a 
are 
guaranteed over an industrial temperature range of 
-40°C to +85°C.  
two-wire  protocol.  The 
specifications 
2.7V to 3.65V operation 
75 µA Active Current (100 kHz) @ 3V 
1 µA Standby Current 
 
 Low Power Operation 
• 
• 
• 
 
Industry Standard Configuration 
• 
• 
• 
Industrial Temperature -40° C to +85° C 
8-pin SOIC (-S) 
“Green” 8-pin SOIC (-G) 
Pin Configuration  
 
 
NC
A1
A2
VSS
1
2
3
4
8
7
6
5
VDD
WP
SCL
SDA
 
 
 
 
 
Pin Names 
A1-A2 
SDA 
SCL 
WP 
VSS 
VDD 
 
 
Function 
Device Select Address 1 and 2 
Serial Data/Address 
Serial Clock 
Write Protect 
Ground 
Supply Voltage 3V 
 
 
Ordering Information 
FM24CL04-S 
FM24CL04-G 
 
8-pin SOIC 
“Green” 8-pin SOIC 
This product conforms to specifications per the terms of the Ramtron 
standard warranty. The product has completed Ramtron’s internal 
qualification testing and has reached production status. 
 
Rev. 3.0 
March 2005 
 
 
Ramtron International Corporation 
1850 Ramtron Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80921 
(800) 545-FRAM, (719) 481-7000 
www.ramtron.com 
Page 1 of 11 
 
FM24CL04 
Counter
Address
Latch
128 x 32
FRAM Array
`
Serial to Parallel
Converter
Control Logic
SDA
SCL
WP
A1
A2
8
Data Latch
 
Figure 1. Block Diagram 
 
 
 
 
Pin Description 
Address 1-2:  The address pins set the device select address. The device address value 
in  the  2-wire  slave  address must match the setting of these two pins. These pins are 
internally pulled down. 
Serial Data/Address: This is a bi-directional pin used to shift serial data and addresses  
for the two-wire interface. It employs an open-drain output and is intended to be wire-
OR’d with other devices on the two-wire bus. The input buffer incorporates a Schmitt 
trigger  for  noise  immunity  and  the  output  driver  includes  slope  control  for  falling 
edges. A pull-up resistor is required. 
Serial Clock: The serial clock input for the two-wire interface. Data is clocked out of 
the device on the SCL falling edge, and clocked in on the SCL rising edge. The SCL 
input also incorporates a Schmitt trigger input for improved noise immunity. 
Pin Description 
Pin Name 
A1-A2 
I/O 
Input 
SDA 
I/O 
SCL 
Input 
WP 
NC 
VDD 
VSS 
Rev. 3.0 
March 2005 
Input  Write Protect:  When WP is high the entire array is write protected. When WP is low, 
all addresses may be written. This pin is internally pulled down. 
No connect 
Supply Voltage  
- 
Supply 
Supply  Ground 
Page 2 of 11 
FM24CL04 
two-wire  bus 
industry  standard 
Two-wire Interface 
The  FM24CL04  employs  a  bi-directional  two-wire 
bus  protocol  using  few  pins  and  little  board  space. 
Figure  2  illustrates  a  typical  system  configuration 
using  the  FM24CL04  in  a  microcontroller-based 
system.  The 
is 
familiar to many users but is described in this section.  
 
By  convention,  any  device  that  is  sending  data  onto 
the  bus  is  the  transmitter  while the target device for 
this data is the receiver. The device that is controlling 
the  bus  is  the  master.  The  master  is  responsible  for 
generating  the  clock  signal  for  all  operations.  Any 
device on the bus that is being controlled is a slave. 
The FM24CL04 is always a slave device.  
 
The bus protocol is controlled by transition states in 
the SDA and SCL signals. There are four conditions: 
Start,  Stop,  Data  bit,  and  Acknowledge.  Figure  3 
illustrates  the  signal  conditions  that  specify  the  four 
states.  Detailed  timing  diagrams  are  shown  in  the 
electrical specifications.  
 
 
Microcontroller
VDD
Rmin = 1.1 KΩ
Rmax = tR/Cbus
     SDA
SCL
     SDA
SCL
FM24CL04
      A1   A2
FM24CL64
A0   A1   A2
 
 
Figure 2. Typical System Configuration 
 
 
Overview 
The  FM24CL04  is  a  serial  FRAM  memory.  The 
memory array is logically organized as 512 x 8 and is 
accessed  using  an 
two-wire 
interface.  Functional  operation  of  the  FRAM  is 
similar  to  serial  EEPROMs.  The  major  difference 
between the FM24CL04 and a serial EEPROM with 
the  same  pinout  relates 
its  superior  write 
performance.  
industry  standard 
to 
functions  of 
Memory Architecture 
When  accessing  the  FM24CL04,  the  user  addresses 
512  locations  each  with  8  data  bits.  These  data  bits 
are  shifted  serially.  The  512  addresses  are  accessed 
using  the  two-wire  protocol,  which  includes  a  slave 
address (to distinguish other devices), a page address, 
and a word address. The word address consists of 8-
bits  that  specify  one  of  256  addresses.  The  page 
address is 1-bit and so there are 2 pages each of 256 
locations.  The  complete  address  of  9-bits  specifies 
each byte address uniquely.  
 
Most 
the  FM24CL04  either  are 
controlled  by  the  two-wire  interface  or  are  handled 
automatically  by  on-board  circuitry.  The  memory  is 
read  or  written  at  the  speed  of  the  two-wire  bus. 
Unlike  an  EEPROM,  it  is  not  necessary  to  poll  the 
device for a ready condition since writes occur at bus 
speed. That is, by the time a new bus transaction can 
be  shifted  into  the  part,  a  write  operation  will  be 
complete.  This  is  explained  in  more  detail  in  the 
interface section below.  
 
Users  can  expect  several  obvious  system  benefits 
from  the  FM24CL04  due  to  its  fast  write  cycle  and 
high  endurance  as  compared  with  EEPROM. 
However there are less obvious benefits as well. For 
example  in  a  high  noise  environment,  the  fast-write 
operation  is  less  susceptible  to  corruption  than  an 
EEPROM  since it is completed quickly. By contrast 
an  EEPROM  requiring  milliseconds  to  write  is 
vulnerable to noise during much of the cycle.  
 
Note 
the  FM24CL04  contains  no  power 
management  circuits  other  than  a  simple  internal 
power-on reset. It is the user’s responsibility to ensure 
that  VDD  is  within  data  sheet  tolerances  to  prevent 
incorrect operation.  
that 
Rev. 3.0 
March 2005 
Page 3 of 11 
 
 
 
FM24CL04 
 
Figure 3. Data Transfer Protocol 
 
Stop Condition 
A  Stop  condition  is  indicated  when  the  bus  master 
drives SDA from low to high while the SCL signal is 
high. All operations must end with a Stop condition. If 
an  operation  is  pending  when  a  stop  is  asserted,  the 
operation  will  be  aborted.  The  master  must  have 
control of SDA (not a memory read) in order to assert 
a Stop condition.  
Start Condition 
A  Start  condition  is  indicated  when  the  bus  master 
drives SDA from high to low while the SCL signal is 
high. All read and write transactions begin with a Start 
condition. An operation in progress can be aborted by 
asserting  a  Start  condition  at  any  time.  Aborting  an 
operation  using  the  Start  condition  will  ready  the 
FM24CL04 for a new operation.  
 
If during operation the power supply drops below the 
specified  VDD  minimum,  the  system  should  issue  a 
Start condition prior to performing another operation.  
Data/Address Transfer 
All  data  transfers  (including  addresses)  take  place 
while  the  SCL  signal  is  high.  Except  under  the  two 
conditions described above, the SDA signal should not 
change while SCL is high.  
Acknowledge 
The Acknowledge takes place after the 8th data bit has 
been  transferred  in  any  transaction.  During  this  state 
the transmitter should release the SDA bus to allow the 
receiver to drive it. The receiver drives the SDA signal 
low to acknowledge receipt of the byte. If the receiver 
does  not  drive  SDA  low,  the  condition  is  a  No-
Acknowledge and the operation is aborted. 
 
The receiver could fail to acknowledge for two distinct 
reasons.  First,  if  a  byte  transfer  fails,  the  No-
Acknowledge  ends  the  current  operation  so  that  the 
device  can  be  addressed  again.  This  allows  the  last 
byte to be recovered in the event of a communication 
error. Second and most common, the receiver does not 
Rev. 3.0 
March 2005 
the 
last  byte. 
If 
the 
the 
the  data 
is  needed, 
acknowledge 
to  deliberately  end  an 
operation. For example, during a read operation, the 
FM24CL04  will  continue  to place data onto the bus 
as  long  as  the  receiver  sends  acknowledges  (and 
clocks).  When  a  read  operation  is  complete  and  no 
receiver  must  not 
more  data 
acknowledge 
receiver 
acknowledges  the  last  byte,  this  will  cause  the 
FM24CL04  to  attempt  to  drive  the  bus  on  the  next 
clock  while  the  master  is  sending  a  new  command 
such as a Stop command.  
Slave Address 
The  first  byte  that  the  FM24CL04  expects  after  a 
start  condition  is  the  slave  address.  As  shown  in 
Figure 4, the slave address contains the device type, 
the  device  select,  the  page  of  memory  to  be 
accessed, and a bit that specifies if the transaction is 
a read or a write.  
 
Bits  7-4  are  the  device  type  and  should  be  set  to 
1010b  for  the  FM24CL04.  The  device  type  allows 
other types of functions to reside on the 2-wire bus 
within  an  identical  address  range.  Bits  3-2  are  the 
device address. If bit 3 matches the A2 pin and bit 2 
matches the A1 pin the device will be selected. Bit 1 
is the page select. It specifies the 256-byte block of 
memory that is targeted for the current operation. Bit 
0  is  the  read/write  bit.  A  0  indicates  a  write 
operation.  
 
Word Address 
After the FM24CL04 (as receiver) acknowledges the 
slave ID, the master will place the word address on 
the  bus  for  a  write  operation.  The  word  address  is 
the lower 8-bits of the address to be combined with 
the 1-bit page select to specify exactly the byte to be 
written.  The  complete  9-bit  address  is  latched 
internally.  
Page 4 of 11 
 
 
FM24CL04 
Figure 4. Slave Address 
 
 
No word address occurs for a read operation. Reads 
always use the lower 8-bits that are held internally in 
the address latch and the 9th address bit is part of the 
slave  address.  Reads  always  begin  at  the  address 
following the previous access. A random read address 
can be loaded by doing a write operation as explained 
below.  
 
After transmission of each data byte, just prior to the 
acknowledge, the FM24CL04 increments the internal 
address latch. This allows the next sequential byte to 
be  accessed with no additional addressing. After the 
last address (1FFh) is reached, the address latch will 
roll over to 000h. There is no limit to the number of 
bytes that can be accessed with a single read or write 
operation.  
Data Transfer 
After  all  address  information  has  been  transmitted, 
data 
the 
FM24CL04  can  begin.  For  a  read  operation  the 
FM24CL04 will place 8 data bits on the bus then wait 
for  an  acknowledge.  If  the  acknowledge  occurs,  the 
next  sequential  byte  will  be  transferred.  If  the 
acknowledge  is  not  sent,  the  read  operation  is 
concluded. For a write operation, the FM24CL04 will 
accept  8  data  bits  from  the  master  then  send  an 
acknowledge.  All  data  transfer  occurs  MSB  (most 
significant bit) first.  
the  bus  master  and 
transfer  between 
Memory Operation 
The FM24CL04 is designed to operate in a manner 
very  similar  to  other  2-wire  interface  memory 
products.  The  major  differences  result  from  the 
higher  performance  write  capability  of  FRAM 
technology.  These  improvements  result  in  some 
differences  between  the  FM24CL04  and  a  similar 
configuration EEPROM during writes. The complete 
operation  for  both  writes  and  reads  is  explained 
below.  
Write Operation 
All  writes  begin  with  a  slave  address  then  a  word 
address. The bus master indicates a write operation 
by setting the LSB of the Slave address to a 0. After 
addressing, the bus master sends each byte of data to 
the  memory  and 
the  memory  generates  an 
acknowledge  condition.  Any  number  of  sequential 
bytes may be written. If the end of the address range 
is  reached  internally,  the address counter will wrap 
from 1FFh to 000h.  
 
Unlike other nonvolatile memory technologies, there 
is  no  write  delay  with  FRAM.  The  entire  memory 
cycle  occurs  in  less  time  than  a  single  bus  clock. 
Therefore any operation including read or write can 
occur  immediately  following  a  write.  Acknowledge 
polling,  a 
to 
determine if a write is complete is unnecessary and 
will always return a done condition.  
 
An  actual  memory  array  write  occurs  after  the  8th 
data bit is transferred. It will be complete before the 
acknowledge is sent. Therefore if the user desires to 
abort a write without altering the memory contents, 
this  should  be  done  using  a  start  or  stop  condition 
prior  to  the  8th  data  bit.  The  FM24CL04  needs  no 
page buffering.  
 
Pulling write protect high will disable writes to the 
entire  array.  The  FM24CL04  will  not acknowledge 
data  bytes  that  are  written  when  write  protect  is 
asserted.  In  addition,  the  address  counter  will  not 
increment  if  writes  are  attempted.  Pulling  WP  low 
(VSS) will deactivate this feature.  
 
Figure  5  below  illustrates  both  a  single-  and 
multiple- byte write.  
technique  used  with  EEPROMs 
Rev. 3.0 
March 2005 
Page 5 of 11 
 
 
FM24CL04 
By Master
Start
Address & Data
Stop
S
Slave Address
0
A
Word Address
A
Data Byte
A P
By FM24CL04
By Master
Start
Acknowledge
Figure 5. Byte Write 
 
Address & Data
 
Stop
S
Slave Address
0
A
Word Address
A
Data Byte
A
Data Byte
A P
By FM24CL04
Acknowledge
Figure 6. Multiple Byte Write 
 
Read Operation 
There are two basic types of read operations. They are 
current  address  read  and  selective  address  read.  In  a 
current address read, the FM24CL04 uses the internal 
address  latch  to  supply  the lower 8 address bits. In a 
selective  read,  the  user  performs  a    procedure  to  set 
these lower address bits to a specific value.  
Current Address & Sequential  Read 
The  FM24CL04  uses  an  internal  latch  to  supply  the 
lower  8  address  bits  for  a  read  operation.  A  current 
address  read  uses  the  existing  value  in  the  address 
latch as a starting place for the read operation. This is 
the  address  immediately  following  that  of  the  last 
operation.  
 
To  perform  a  current  address  read,  the  bus  master 
supplies  a  slave  address  with  the  LSB  set  to  1.  This 
indicates that a read operation is requested. The page 
select  bit  in  the  slave  address  specifies  the  block  of 
memory  that  is used for the read operation. After the 
acknowledge,  the  FM24CL04  will  begin  shifting  out 
data  from  the  current  address.  The  current  address  is 
the bit from the slave address combined with the 8 bits 
that were in the internal address latch.  
 
Beginning with the current address, the bus master can 
read  any  number  of  bytes.  Thus  a  sequential  read  is 
simply  a  current  address  read  with  multiple  byte 
transfers. After each byte the internal address counter 
will  be  incremented.  Each  time  the  bus  master 
acknowledges  a  byte, 
the 
FM24CL04  should  read  out  the  next  sequential  byte. 
There  are  four  ways  to  properly  terminate  a  read 
operation.  Failing  to  properly  terminate  the  read  will 
most likely create a bus contention as the FM24CL04 
indicates 
that 
this 
attempts to read out additional data onto the bus. The 
four valid methods are as follows.  
 
1.   The  bus  master  issues  a  no-acknowledge  in  the 
9th clock cycle and a stop in the 10th clock cycle. 
This is illustrated in the diagrams below. This is 
the preferred method.  
2.   The  bus  master  issues  a  no-acknowledge  in  the 
9th clock cycle and a start in the 10th.  
3.   The  bus  master  issues  a  stop  in  the  9th  clock 
cycle. Bus contention may result.  
4.   The  bus  master  issues  a  start  in  the  9th  clock 
cycle. Bus contention may result. 
 
If  the  internal  address  reaches  1FFh  it  will  wrap 
around to 000h on the next read cycle. Figures 7 and 
8 show the proper operation for current address reads. 
Selective (Random) Read 
A simple technique allows a user to select a random 
address  location  as  the  starting  point  for  a  read 
operation. This involves using the first two bytes of a 
write  operation  to  set  the  internal  address  byte 
followed by subsequent read operations.  
 
To perform a selective read, the bus master sends out 
the slave address with the LSB set to 0. This specifies 
a write operation. According to the write protocol, the 
bus  master  then  sends  the  word  address  byte  that  is 
loaded  into  the  internal  address  latch.  After  the 
FM24CL04 acknowledges the word address, the bus 
master  issues  a  start  condition.  This  simultaneously 
aborts  the  write  operation  and  allows  the  read 
command to be issued with the slave address LSB set 
to a 1. The operation is now a current address read. 
See Figure 9. 
Rev. 3.0 
March 2005 
Page 6 of 11 
 
FM24CL04 
Figure 7. Current Address Read 
 
 
 
Figure 8. Sequential Read 
 
 
Figure 9. Selective (Random) Read 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rev. 3.0 
March 2005 
Page 7 of 11 
 
 
Electrical Specifications 
FM24CL04 
 
Absolute Maximum Ratings 
 
 
Symbol 
VDD 
VIN 
TSTG 
TLEAD 
VESD 
 
Description 
Ratings 
Power Supply Voltage with respect to VSS  
Voltage on any signal pin with respect to VSS 
Storage Temperature 
Lead Temperature (Soldering, 10 seconds)  
Electrostatic Discharge Voltage 
 - Human Body Model  (JEDEC Std JESD22-A114-B) 
 - Machine Model  (JEDEC Std JESD22-A115-A) 
Package Moisture Sensitivity Level 
-1.0V to +5.0V 
-1.0V to +5.0V  
and VIN < VDD+1.0V * 
-55°C to + 125°C 
300° C 
 
3kV 
300V 
MSL-1 
  
* Exception: The “VIN < VDD+1.0V” restriction does not apply to the SCL and SDA inputs. 
Stresses  above  those  listed  under Absolute Maximum Ratings may cause permanent damage to the device. This is a stress 
rating only, and the functional operation of the device at these or any other conditions above those listed in the operational 
section of this specification is not implied. Exposure to absolute maximum ratings conditions for extended periods may affect 
device reliability. 
 
DC Operating Conditions   (TA = -40° C to + 85° C, VDD = 2.7V to 3.65V unless otherwise specified) 
Symbol 
VDD 
IDD 
ISB 
ILI 
ILO 
VIH 
VIL 
VOL 
RIN 
Parameter 
Main Power Supply 
VDD Supply Current 
  @ SCL = 100 kHz 
  @ SCL = 400 kHz 
  @ SCL = 1 MHz 
Standby Current 
Input Leakage Current 
Output Leakage Current 
Input High Voltage 
Input Low Voltage 
Output Low Voltage 
 @ IOL = 3.0 mA 
Input Resistance (WP, A2, A1)  
For VIN = VIL (max) 
For VIN = VIH (min) 
Input Hysteresis 
Typ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Min 
2.7 
 
 
 
 
 
0.7 VDD 
-0.3 
 
50 
1 
Max 
3.65 
 
75 
150 
300 
1 
±1 
±1 
VDD + 0.5 
0.3 VDD 
0.4 
 
 
Units 
Notes 
V 
 
µA 
µA 
µA 
µA 
µA 
µA 
V 
V 
V 
 
KΩ 
MΩ 
V 
 
1 
2 
3 
3 
 
 
 
 
5 
4 
 
VHYS  
Notes 
1.   SCL toggling between VDD-0.3V and VSS, other inputs VSS or VDD-0.3V 
2.   SCL = SDA = VDD. All inputs VSS or VDD. Stop command issued. 
3.   VIN or VOUT = VSS to VDD. Does not apply to WP, A1, A2 pins. 
4.   This parameter is periodically sampled and not 100% tested. 
 
0.05 VDD 
 
Rev. 3.0 
March 2005 
Page 8 of 11