Multi-Plane Firmware Storage for Faster Boot and Error Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Reading a firmware image from a single plane in memory systems is time-consuming, leading to increased latency during boot-up or power-on procedures, which can be improved by utilizing a multi-plane read approach.
Innovation Solution
Storing the firmware image across multiple planes in a memory system to enable a multi-plane read during boot-up, allowing for faster access and inclusion of backup copies to handle errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the firmware image is stored in a single plane, then the device complexity is reduced, but the boot-up time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The firmware image is divided and distributed across multiple planes (first plane, second plane, third plane, fourth plane) within the memory device. Each plane stores a portion of the firmware image, enabling parallel reading operations during boot-up. This segmentation allows the system to read firmware from multiple locations simultaneously, reducing boot-up time without significantly increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-plane storage approach to a multi-plane storage architecture, adding the dimension of vertical stacking in memory planes. By utilizing multiple planes that can be read in parallel, the system achieves faster firmware loading speeds while maintaining manageable complexity through structured plane organization.
2Speed
If a multi-plane read approach is used, then the boot-up speed is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The firmware image is segmented into multiple portions and distributed across different planes. The controller is designed to manage these segments by reading from specific planes based on boot-up requirements. This segmentation enables parallel read operations that improve firmware loading speed while the controller handles the complexity of coordinate reading across multiple planes.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple copies of the firmware image are created and stored in different planes (first plane, second plane, third plane, fourth plane). This copying strategy allows the system to read from multiple planes simultaneously, improving read speed and providing redundancy. The controller manages these copies by selecting appropriate planes for reading based on the boot-up process requirements.
3Reliability
If backup copies are stored in separate planes, then the reliability is improved, but the storage space requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The firmware image and its backup copies are segmented and distributed across multiple planes rather than storing all copies in a single location. This segmentation approach improves reliability by distributing data across different physical locations, reducing the impact of single-point failures. The controller manages these segmented copies by reading from specific planes based on error detection and recovery requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of storing backup copies in a single plane, the patent utilizes the vertical dimension by placing different firmware copies in different planes (first, second, third, and fourth planes). This dimensional distribution improves reliability while optimizing storage space utilization compared to sequential stacking of all copies in one plane.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and devices for multi-plane firmware image management are described. A memory system may store a primary firmware image across multiple planes. The memory system may read the firmware image from the planes using a multi-plane read operation. The memory system may store copies of the firmware image to separate, individual planes and the copies may be accessed (e.g., read) based on detecting an error in the primary firmware image.