> Which you don't if you are comparing alternatives to a nonvolatile 
> device.

But that isn't *quite*  the comparison - it may be what one tends to 
think of but it's not necessarily so.

>> Starts to make latching relays look attractive :-).
> Or the Ramtron statesaver.

:-).
ie as even an extremely modest battery would last for a shelf-life IF 
unloaded when main power was off, then the battery is effectively part 
of the total alternative being considered. Certainly a lot cleaner to 
use the single state saver IC.

The battery backed solution has the same advantage over the state 
saver that the SS has over a [processor - namely, the saved state is 
available sooner in the power on process. In most cases this would be 
irrelevant, but in some case utterly pivotal. The SS needs to be 
powered up and does not return valid states until it is up and stable. 
The powered latch system can make a desired state available at any 
time. Unlikely to be worth the extra effort in most cases.




            Russell


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