Intel One Time Programmable Memories - The Automotive Firmware Solution of the 80's

Intel has been a major supplier of EPROMs since pioneering them in 1970. The EPROM, not intended for use in read/write applications, proved useful in research and development for prototyping. The EPROM market consisted almost exclusively of development labs in the mid- 70's. As the fabrication process matured and volumes increased, EPROMs' lower prices became attractive even for medium-volume production applications. Today, with new packaging technologies and continued improvements in processing, the EPROM fulfills high-volume manufacturers' needs for dedicated firmware.

This paper discusses the role of plastic, one-time-programmable (OTP), EPROMs. It will cover the reliability aspects, cost advantages and compatibility with Intel's Quick-Pulse Programming™ algorithm that is being offered with Intel's OTP™ EPROMs.

The paper concludes with a few comments on future trends including surface-mount technology and CMOS EPROMs.