So, you are disagreeing with the specifications?
"4096 bits of read/write nonvolatile memory. "
"Memory 4K Bits
Memory Type NV SRAM"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NvSRAM
And quoting Page 2 of the Specification Sheet at
http://www.embeddeddatasystems.com/a...992-DS1993.pdf
"The block diagram (Figure 1) shows the parasite-powered circuitry. This circuitry steals power whenever
the data input is high. The data line provides sufficient power as long as the specified timing and voltage
requirements are met. The advantages of parasite power are two-fold: 1) by parasiting off this input,
lithium is conserved, and 2) if the lithium is exhausted for any reason, the ROM can still be read
normally."
[lithium = lithium battery]
Perhaps you are correct. Maybe they are just referring to the front-end ROM (serial number, etc.) and not the NVRAM. I have just never heard of that failure mode. I'll have to ask my friend who works at ibuttonlink about that. And my 2005-vintage Segway keys are doing just fine (so far).