term% cat index.txt FLASH(3) Library Functions Manual FLASH(3)
NAME
flash - flash memory
SYNOPSYS
bind -a #F[n] /dev
/dev/flash
/dev/flash/part
/dev/flash/partctl
DESCRIPTION
The flash memory device serves a two-level directory, giving access to
files representing part or all of a bank of flash memory. A platform
might have more than one bank of flash, numbered starting from 0. The
attach specifier n is a decimal integer that selects a particular bank
of flash (default: 0). Both NOR and NAND flash is supported. For both
types of flash, the driver gives a read/write/erase interface to the
raw flash device, which can impose constraints on operations beyond
those imposed by the driver. Other drivers such as ftl(3) or logfs(3)
implement any higher-level format required, including ECC for NAND
flash, for instance.
The top level directory contains a single directory named flash for
bank 0, and flashn for each other bank n. It contains two files for
each partition: a data file part and an associated control file
partctl, where part is the name of the partition. Each partition rep‐
resents a region of flash memory that starts and ends on a flash seg‐
ment (erase unit) boundary. The system initially creates a single
standard partition flash representing the whole of flash memory, and
the corresponding control file flashctl. Other partitions can be cre‐
ated by writing to flashctl as described below.
The data file part provides read and write access to the bytes on the
system's flash memory. Bytes can be read and written on any byte
boundary: the interface hides any alignment restrictions. A read re‐
turns the value of the bytes at the current file offset, where zero is
the start of the partition. A write reprograms the flash to the given
byte values, at the current file offset (relative to the start of the
partition), using the physical device's reprogramming algorithm. An
erased flash byte is logically 0xFF (regardless of the conventions of
the physical flash device). A write can change a bit with value 1 to a
0, but cannot change a 0 bit to 1; that can only be done by erasing one
or more flash segments. NAND flash typically has restrictions on the
number of writes allowed to a page before requiring a block erase.
The control file partctl can be read and written. A read returns sev‐
eral lines containing decimal and hexadecimal numbers (separated by
white space) revealing the characteristics of memory within the parti‐
tion. The first line gives the manufacturer ID, the flash device ID,
the memory width in bytes, and a string giving the flash type (cur‐
rently either nor or nand). Subsequent lines give characteristics of
each group of erase units within the partition, where the erase units
within a group have the same properties. Each line gives the start and
end (as byte addresses) of the erase units in the region that lie
within the partition, followed by the size in bytes of each erase unit,
which is followed for NAND flash by the size in bytes of a page. The
sizes for NAND flash include the extra bytes per page typically used to
hold an ECC and block status. A write contains one of the following
textual commands:
add name start end
Create a new partition that ranges from start to end within the
current partition. Each value must be numeric (decimal, octal
or hexadecimal) and a multiple of the erase unit size. Name
must not be the name of an existing partition. On success, new
files name and namectl will appear in the parent flash direc‐
tory.
erase all
Erase the whole flash partition, setting all bytes to 0xFF, ex‐
cept those that are hardware write-protected.
erase offset
Erase the segment that begins at the given offset within the
partition, setting all bytes to 0xFF, except those that are
hardware write-protected. The offset is given in bytes, but
must be a multiple of the segment (erase unit) size.
protectboot [ off ]
By default the system prevents erase unit 0 of the flash from
being erased or written, assuming it contains the primary boot‐
strap. Writing this command with parameter off removes that
protection. Writing protectboot with any other parameter (or
none) restores the protection. Note that a manufacturer might
also have locked the flash in hardware, and that protection must
be removed in a device-dependent way.
sync If the underlying device must buffer or cache (current devices
do not), flush the buffer(s).
The syntax of all numbers is that of strtoul (in atof(2)); the default
base is 10.
SOURCE
/sys/src/*/devflash.c
/sys/src/*/flash*.c
SEE ALSO
flashfs(4), paqfs(4)
DIAGNOSTICS
A write will return an error if an attempt is made to change a 0 bit to
1, or if the flash memory fails to be programmed correctly.
BUGS
The flash cannot be written if the kernel is executing directly from
flash, because the physical flash cannot be read during programming,
and the driver does not copy the programming code to DRAM.
FLASH(3)