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What is the SRAM solution for battery powered game consoles? I believe many inexperienced people are at a loss about it. Therefore, this article summarizes the causes and solutions of the problem. Through this article, I hope you can solve this problem.

A game console is a computer system that is mainly used for entertainment, using source code open only to licensed software developers, with televisions or other dedicated displays and dedicated input devices. The biggest difference between it and personal computer is the closeness of source code and software. The mechanical and electronic devices used by human beings to play games can be called game consoles. With the development of electronic technology and information industry, as well as the film and comic industry, the video game machine has become the actual representative of the game machine. Because of its more professional gameplay performance, even if the computer level is so developed today, PC games still can not replace the strong position of game consoles.

High-speed nonvolatile cache

The game console uses SRAM density (any value between 4 Mbit and 32 Mbit) as a cache for storing runtime processing data. The cache used in these applications must be non-volatile to preserve important game data during a power failure. The RAM cache currently uses a spare battery for non-volatility and a 3.0V battery to retain RAM content during a power outage, as shown in figure 1.

As people are more and more inclined to eliminate batteries, other alternative non-volatile storage technologies are becoming more and more popular in game console design. Cypress has developed a battery-free monolithic non-volatile storage solution called non-volatile SRAM or nvSRAM. Cypress's NV-SRAM provides the access speed of 25ns (symmetrical read and write operations), which is far better than the battery-powered solution, which provides the highest 45ns access speed under the best conditions. In most applications, caching is always preferred because it directly affects system performance.

Battery powered SRAM solution

Game consoles often use battery-powered SRAM (BBSRAM) to retain critical data during operation and on battery power when the system is powered off. BBSRAM uses a low-power SRAM (or micro-power SRAM) IC, a power controller IC, and a battery on the application board, as shown in figure 1.

Figure 1. BBSRAM interface with microcontroller

The BBSRAM solution requires additional components and PCB area. The battery must not be installed during SMD reflow to avoid explosion due to overheating during reflow soldering. Other challenges related to battery-based solutions are:

Vulnerable to system vibration, which can lead to unreliable mechanical connections for fixed batteries

Maintenance and replacement as planned

Low mean time between failures

Due to the use of hazardous ingredients in the battery, strict green disposal / content laws should be followed.

After reading the above, have you mastered the solution of battery-powered SRAM for game consoles? If you want to learn more skills or want to know more about it, you are welcome to follow the industry information channel, thank you for reading!

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