Flash 8 Click is a compact add-on board representing a highly reliable memory solution. This board features the GD5F2GQ5UEYIGR, a 2Gb high-density non-volatile memory storage solution for embedded systems from GigaDevice Semiconductor. It is based on an industry-standard NAND Flash memory core, representing an attractive alternative to SPI-NOR and standard parallel NAND Flash with advanced features. The GD5F2GQ5UEYIGR also has advanced security features (8K-Byte OTP region), software/hardware write protection, can withstand many write cycles (minimum 100k), and has a data retention period greater than ten years. This Click board™ is suitable for storage and data transfer in consumer devices, and industrial applications.

Flash 8 Click as its foundation uses the GD5F2GQ5UEYIGR, a highly reliable serial Flash memory solution offering flexibility designed for use in a wide variety of consumer applications from GigaDevice Semiconductor. It comes with a density of 2Gb based on an industry-standard NAND Flash memory core, representing an attractive alternative to SPI-NOR and standard parallel NAND Flash with advanced features. Organized as 256Mx8, the GD5F2GQ5UEYIGR has advanced security features (8K-Byte OTP region) and specifies a minimum of 100.000 endurance cycles with data retention of a minimum of 10 years, giving it the capability to handle unlimited reads/writes to the memory.

This Click board™ communicates with MCU through an industry-standard SPI interface (Dual and QSPI compatible) that enables high clock speed, supporting the two most common SPI modes, SPI Mode 0 and 3, with a maximum frequency of 104MHz. It is programmed/read in page-based operations and erased in block-based operations. Data is transferred to/from the NAND Flash memory array, page by page, to a data register and a cache register which is closest to I/O control circuits, acting as a data buffer for the I/O data (enable page and random data READ/WRITE and copy back operations). In addition to the SPI communication, this Click board™ also has two additional pins used for Write Protection and HOLD function routed to the RST and PWM pins of the mikroBUS™ socket.

The configurable Write Protection, marked as WP and routed on the RST pin of the mikroBUS™ socket, prevents the block lock bits from being overwritten and must be held low to inhibit all the write operations to registers. When this pin is low, also by setting the appropriate bits, all memory and register write are prohibited, and the address counter is not incremented. On the other hand, the HOLD pin labeled as HLD and routed to the PWM pin of the mikroBUS™ socket stops any serial communications with the device. Still, it doesn’t stop the operation of reading programming or erasing in progress.

This Click board™ can be operated only with a 3.3V logic voltage level. The board must perform appropriate logic voltage level conversion before using MCUs with different logic levels. What should be paid special attention to is the fact that if power shortage or power failure happens before Write/Erase operation is complete, it will cause loss or damage to data. However, the Click board™ comes equipped with a library containing functions and an example code that can be used, as a reference, for further development.

• Interface: QSPI, SPI
• Compatibility: mikroBUS™
• Dimensions: 28.6 x 25.4mm
• Input Voltage: 3.3V
• Supply Voltage: 3.3V
• Memory Size: 2 Gb
• Write Endurance: 100k Cycles
• Data Retention: 10 Years
• Operating Temperature Range: Min. -40°C, Typ. +25°C, Max. +85°C

• Schematic
• GD5F2GQ5UEYIGR Datasheet
• mikroSDK
• LibStock