Memory card and memory controller
View Patent ↗A memory card has a plurality of non-volatile memories and a main controller for controlling the operation of the non-volatile memories. The main controller performs an access control to the non-volatile memories in response to an external access instruction, and an alternate control for alternating an access error-related storage area of the non-volatile memory with other storage area. In the access control, the speeding up of the data transfer between flash memories is achieved by causing the plurality of non-volatile memories to parallel access operate. In the alternation control, the storage areas is made alternative for each non-volatile memory in which an access error occurs.
1. A memory apparatus comprising:
a plurality of flash memories;
a flash interface circuit; and
a one or more ECC circuits,
wherein the flash interface circuit controls operation of the plurality of flash memories;
the flash interface circuit performs an access control of the plurality of flash memories in response to an external access instruction, and an alternation control for substituting a storage area of an access error-related flash memory with another storage area;
each of the plurality of flash memories includes a plurality of sectors, the alternation control being performed individually for each of the plurality of flash memories;
the flash interface circuit causes the plurality of flash memories to operate for parallel access in the access control, and issues addresses, of which a first address is for a first flash memory and a second address is for a second flash memory;
the flash interface circuit controls issuing the addresses, such that the first address and the second address indicate same location sectors, when both of the sector of the first flash memory indicated by the first address and the sector of the second flash memory indicated by the second address are valid;
the flash interface circuit controls issuing the addresses, such that the first address and the second address indicate different location sectors, when the sector of the first flash memory indicated by the first address is valid and a sector of the second flash memory on same location of the sector of the first flash memory indicated by the first address is invalid;
the one or more ECC circuits add an error detection code to write-data written into the plurality of flash memories and conduct an error detection and correction for read-data from the plurality of flash memories, the one or more ECC circuits being as many as the number of the parallel access operations; and
the one or more ECC circuits perform input/output operations in a parallel manner at an operation frequency which is equal to the input/output operation frequency of the parallel access operated flash memories.
2. A memory apparatus as defined in claim 1 ,
further comprising buses for connecting respective flash memories to the flash interface circuit so that the respective flash memories are separately access-controlled.