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        Software optimizes flash management on PXA27x under Windows CE

        Doug | Date: Jan 13, 2005 | Comments: 1



        Datalight's resident flash management software now supports Intel's PXA27x application processor family under Windows CE. The Datalight FlashFX Pro resident flash driver targets embedded devices used in performance-intensive multimedia applications that require low read latency.




        According to Datalight, FlashFX Pro provides wear-leveling algorithms that extend the life of "resident flash" (i.e. on-board flash chips, as opposed to CompactFlash, DiskOnChip, or other modules), by ensuring that erase zones are evenly used across the entire flash array. For example, unlike the native Windows CE Flash Media Driver, FlashFX Pro keeps explicit track of the erase counts, according to the company, resulting in longer flash life and lower warranty costs for Windows CE based devices.

        FlashFX Pro also supports background compaction, allowing processes to run during idle time. Depending on how a developer sets the threshold for background compaction, this feature may accelerate apparent write-speed without consuming additional battery power, according to Datalight.

        Significantly, FlashFX Pro enables a write process to be interrupted by a read process, according to Datalight. This capability makes it possible for FlashFX Pro's read latency to be as much as three orders of magnitude lower on Intel Strataflash (NOR flash) than the read latency of FlashFX, the company's earlier product.



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