1.5.1 What is ECC?

Because of limitations in Flash technology, NAND Flash devices are subject to data failures that occur during device operation. To ensure data read/write integrity, system Error Correction Code (ECC) algorithms must be implemented. Some NAND Flash devices feature an embedded ECC controller that can be enabled and disabled.

The SAM9X60 and SAM9X7 microprocessors also feature a hardware ECC controller. The embedded ECC controller and related decoding software are capable of generating redundancy for the correction of single or multiple bits of data.