Error-correcting codes for flash coding

  • Qin Huang*
  • , Shu Lin
  • , Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar
  • *Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Flash memory is a non-volatile computer storage device which consists of blocks of cells. While increasing the voltage level of a single cell is fast and simple, reducing the level of a cell requires the erasing of the entire block containing the cell. Since block-erasures are costly, traditional flash coding schemes have been developed to maximize the number of writes before a block-erasure is needed. A novel coding scheme based on error-correcting codes allows the cell levels to increase as evenly as possible and as a result, increases the number of writes before a block-erasure. The scheme is based on the premise that cells whose levels are higher than others need not be increased. This introduces errors in the recorded data which can be corrected by the error-correcting code provided that the number of erroneous cells are within the error-correcting capability of the code. The scheme is also capable of combating noise, causing additional errors and erasures, in flash memories in order to enhance data reliability. For added flexibility, the scheme can be combined with other flash codes to yield concatenated schemes of high rates.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2011 Information Theory and Applications Workshop, ITA 2011 - Conference Proceedings
Pages163-185
Number of pages23
DOIs
StatePublished - 2011
Externally publishedYes
Event2011 Information Theory and Applications Workshop, ITA 2011 - San Diego, CA, United States
Duration: 6 Feb 201111 Feb 2011

Publication series

Name2011 Information Theory and Applications Workshop, ITA 2011 - Conference Proceedings

Conference

Conference2011 Information Theory and Applications Workshop, ITA 2011
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Diego, CA
Period6/02/1111/02/11

Keywords

  • Block-write
  • WOM code
  • block-erasure
  • code rate
  • concatenated code
  • controllable errors
  • error-correcting code
  • flash code

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