Mike Harrison wrote:
>
> >
> >BTW, I was at an Atmel AVR seminar yesterday - only about 20 attendees.
> >The other month, the Calgary Microchip seminar drew about 200 (after the
> >fact estimate).  Some neat parts, even neater "soon-to-be" parts, some
> >Microchip-bashing, but NO plans to make them work at 125 deg C. :'-(
> A friend who fixes cellular phonbes tells me that Atmel TSOP eeproms
> (unlike other makes) get corrupted by unsoldering temperatures  -
> doesn't exactly inspire confidence, does it?

An Atmel FAE sampled me on 2 ATC28C040 industrial temp versions.
Apparently they don't do mil on this part but one of his cutomers
claimed he got 220 deg out of it in testing - only 24 hours, but still
counting.  I'm setting out to do my own tests (long term at 150 deg) and
I'll be sharing my results with Atmel on this (in exchange for the parts
which cost approx $400 CND each).  So far Xicor has been great (we've
had some in our products close to a decade with no failures at high
temp).  Unfortunately, Xicor lags Atmel in its introduction of next
generation monolithic parts.  Fortunately, Xicor works well.  The 2
technologies differ: Xicor uses an older (but more reliable)
space-eating thick film deposition process while Atmel uses a higher
density process but builds in extra cells for redundancy (so I've been
told).  Which is the more reliable, only time and testing will tell.
I'd feel a lot more comfortable if Atmel worked on higher temps - it
could only result in a better commercially-targeted part also.

Scuttlebut of the day: apparently Xicor is in talks with Motorola to
license its 68HC11 core...

Further to past discussion on destructive testing of PICs (plugging them
in backwards, etc.) - my next rainy-day project is to run a '74A/JW up
to as high a temperature as it can stand.  This might take a while
(something like 1 deg steps every 24 hours above 150 deg).  My code will
test various parts functional blocks like the USART, timers, etc.  Any
suggestions as to good code for such a test?  Bear in mind that the
hardware must me minimal: '74A, crystal, and a couple of capacitors.

--Matt