15.16.1 Page Erase Retry

Page Erase Retry is a method to improve the life of a Flash by attempting to erase again if the Page Erase was not successful. The user can only use the Erase Retry for a Page Erase.

Page Erase Retry works by increasing the voltage used on the Flash when erasing. Initially, the minimum voltage necessary is applied by setting the RETRY[1:0] bits (NVMCON2[9:8]) = 00. If the page erase is not successful, the voltage may be increased by incrementing the setting of the RETRY[1:0] bits.

Note: Each Flash page, as it ages and wears, can have different voltage requirements; therefore, a higher setting on one Flash page does not indicate that the same setting must be used on all pages.
The maximum voltage for Page Erase is used when the RETRY[1:0] bits = 11. If Page Erase is not successful after 7 trials, the Flash for that page, or the Words that did not erase, must be considered non-functional.

Together with the normal Page Erase controls, Page Erase Retry also uses the WS[4:0], CREAD1, VREAD1 and RETRY[1:0] bits in the NVMCON2 register. The ERS[3:0] bits (NVMCON2[31:28]) are for the benefit of software performing the programming sequence in the event that a drop in power causes a BOR event but not a POR event.

Perform the following steps to set up a Page Erase Retry:
  1. Set the NVMADDR register with the address of the page to be erased.
  2. Execute the write unlock sequence.
  3. Save the value of the NVMCON2 register.
  4. Do the following in the NVMCON2 register:
    1. Set the ERS[3:0] bits as desired.
    2. Set the WS[4:0] bits per the description.
    3. Set the VREAD1 bit to ‘1’.
    4. Set the CREAD1 bit to ‘1’.
    5. Set the RETRY[1:0] bits to ‘00’.
  5. Run the unlock sequence using the Page Erase command to start the sequence.
  6. Wait for the WR bit (NVMCON[15]) to be cleared by hardware.
  7. Clear the WREN bit (NVMCON[14]).
  8. Verify the erase using the CPU. To shorten the verify time, use CREAD1 = 1 to perform a hardware compare to logic ‘1’ of each bit in the Flash Word including ECC. A successful compare yields a read of 0x00000001 in the lowest addressed Word in a Flash Word (128 bits). This is the Compare Word. All other Words are 0x00010000. If any bit is logic ‘0’, all Words in the Flash Word read 0x00000000. Remember to increment the address by the number of bytes in a Flash Word between reads.
  9. If all Compare Words verify correctly, the Page Erase Retry process is complete. Go to step 11.
  10. If a Compare Word yields a read of 0x00000000, perform steps 4 through 9 up to six more times with the following change to step 4:
    1. Increment the RETRY[1:0] bits by one if the bit has not already reached the ‘11’ setting.
    2. Maintain all other fields.
  11. Restore the value of the NVMCON2 register, which was saved in step 3.
Note:
  1. When CREAD1 is set to ‘1’ to perform hardware compare, the compare happens on the entire Flash panel (PFM, BFM). Hence, execute the code that performs this page erase retry operation from SRAM.
  2. When the VREAD1 = 1, the Flash uses the WS[3:0] bits for the Flash access wait state generation to the panel selected by NVMADDR. Software is responsible for writing the VREAD1 bit back to ‘0’ when both erase and verify is complete.
  3. The device configuration boot page (the page containing the DEVCFGx values) does not support Page Erase Retry.

The following code provides code for a single page erase operation at address 0x1008000, in case of Page Erase Retry.

Page Erase Retry Code Example:
uint32_tsaveNVMCON2;
uint32_t*cmpPtr;
uint8_terased;
uint8_ttryCount;

// set destination page address
    NVMADDR = 0x1008000;    // Page physical address

// define flash operation
    NVMCONbits.NVMOP = 0x4;    // NVMOP for Page Erase

// Unlock sequence
    NVMKEY = 0x0;
    NVMKEY = 0xAA996655;
    NVMKEY = 0x556699AA;

// save NVMCON2
    saveNVMCON2 = NVMCON2;

// set up Page Erase Retry
    NVMCON2bits.ERS = 0;    // Stage 0 - SW use only
    NVMCON2bits.VREAD1 = 1;
    NVMCON2bits.CREAD1 = 1;
    NVMCON2bits.RETRY = 0b00;

    tryCount = 0;        // Up to 4 attempts
    
    do {
        tryCount++;
        
        // commence programming
        NVMInitiateOperation();

        // Wait for WR bit to clear
        while(NVMCONbits.WR);

        // Turn off WREN
        NVMCONbits.WREN = 0;

        // Check that the page was erased
        erased = 1;
        cmpPtr = (uint32_t *)NVMADDR;
        erased &= (*cmpPtr == 0x00000001);
        cmpPtr++;
        erased &= (*cmpPtr == 0x00010000);
        cmpPtr++;
        erased &= (*cmpPtr == 0x00010000);
        cmpPtr++;
        erased &= (*cmpPtr == 0x00010000);

        if (!erased) {
            // Erase failed. Try with different settings.
            NVMCON2bits.RETRY++;

            NVMCONbits.NVMOP = 0x4;
            NVMCONbits.WREN = 1;
        }
    } while (!erased && (tryCount < 4));

// Restore settings
    NVMCON2 = saveNVMCON2;