What the FRAM buys you that Flash can't
The unified memory map means you don't partition code space from data space; the 256 KB pool holds both firmware and accumulated flow logs. The 8K x 8 SRAM handles real-time stack and intermediate filter coefficients for the ultrasonic measurement front-end. Eighteen 12-bit ADC channels cover multiple sensor inputs — think upstream/downstream transducer pairs, temperature compensation, and pressure sense — without an external multiplexer. The 76 I/O pins in the 100-LQFP package give headroom for a segment LCD driver, keypad, and alarm outputs.
Supply rail and brown-out protection
The integrated brown-out detect and POR resets the core cleanly during battery drop-out — no external supervisor needed for most metering applications.
No last-time-buy notice, no successor announced. It's a current-production line — no urgency to stockpile, no risk of a forced redesign next quarter.