Design and implementation of efficient bootloader for endurance enhancement in flash memory storage systems

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Computer Science

Background:

• Flash memory programming during development reduces microcontroller lifespan.
• Supply chain issues highlight the need for durable development tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a bootloader design for increased flash memory endurance.
• To improve flash memory efficiency in microcontrollers.
• To extend the usable life of development and testing hardware.

Main Methods:

• Developed a new bootloader with dynamic boot addressing.
• Implemented a system for homogeneous data distribution across flash memory sectors.
• Designed algorithms to prevent unnecessary memory erasures.

Main Results:

• Achieved more efficient flash memory usage.
• Reduced wear on flash memory sectors.
• Shortened application installation times.
• Enhanced overall memory endurance.

Conclusions:

• The proposed bootloader design effectively increases microcontroller flash memory endurance.
• Dynamic boot addressing offers an efficient solution for memory management during development and testing phases.
• This approach mitigates issues related to premature memory wear and extends hardware lifespan.