[U-Boot] Memory testing of flash

Wolfgang Denk wd at denx.de
Tue Jan 31 12:41:09 CET 2012


Dear vk,

In message <loom.20120131T094437-306 at post.gmane.org> you wrote:
> Is it safer to test flash during bootup...what if power gets off half a way
> while writing data on address at which uboot source code is located?Then uboot
> will never get started??

Write testing of flash devices on a regular base (like as part of the
POST at every power-on or even at every boot cycle has never been a
clever idea.  It is risky.  And I doubt if people who design such a
test understant the failure mechanisms of such devices, and what can
be done to prevent problems.

In most cases I've seen so far the tests did not do anything good.
They only reduced the life time of the devices.  A really stupid thing
to do.

Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk

-- 
DENX Software Engineering GmbH,     MD: Wolfgang Denk & Detlev Zundel
HRB 165235 Munich, Office: Kirchenstr.5, D-82194 Groebenzell, Germany
Phone: (+49)-8142-66989-10 Fax: (+49)-8142-66989-80 Email: wd at denx.de
The first 90% of a project takes 90% of the time, the last 10%  takes
the other 90% of the time.


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