CodeSprite Projects

Dynamically Updateable FLASH Functions

A GPS system needed to use parts of the program code FLASH device to store configuration and user data. RAM space was at a premium on this particular system, so very little was available for use as temporary storage when erasing and rewriting FLASH.

A system was devised that stored data in a manner that minimized the number of erase cycles required in the device, and intelligently partitioned data to minimize the buffering requirements. To further reduce the number of erase cycles, the source data and current contents of the FLASH sector were compared to determine whether the current contents could be overwritten safely without an erase cycle.

The system devised was flexible enough to allow a DOS filing system to be retrofitted over the top of the FLASH device driver to provide application developers with the convenience of file io functionality while maintaining the system and performance advantages of the original FLASH device driver.