[Kanase, 3(10): October, 2014] ISSN: 2277-9655 Scientific Journal Impact Factor: 3.449 (ISRA), Impact Factor: 2.114 http: // www.ijesrt.com (C)International Journal of Engineering Sciences & Research Technology [549] IJESRT INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING SCIENCES & RESEARCH TECHNOLOGY FPGA Implementation of NOR Flash Storage Controller Rajkuwar Kanase*, Prof.Shivdas.S.S 1 Department of Electronics Engineering, Karmveer Bhaurao Patil, College of Engineering and Polytechnic, Satara, District-Satara, India Abstracts Flash storage memory devices are Nand and NOR types which are widely used in data storage application in computers and solid states drives. Flash are nonvolatile and electrically erased and reprogrammed. A flash memory controller (or flash controller) manages the data stored on flash memory and communicates with a computer or electronic device. When the system or device needs to read data from or write data to the flash storage, it will communicate with the flash controller. Flash controller is used to control programming and erasing operation of flash memory storage. FPGA builds reconfigurable environment for flash memory controller which helps in generation of exact timing specifications of flash chip. NAND Flash does not support in place updates to overcome this disadvantage of NAND storages proposed design works on NOR flash memory. Keywords: Flash memory storage, NOR flash memory controller, FPGA, flash drives. Introduction Flash memory is an electronic non-volatile computer storage medium that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. Flash memory was developed from EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read- only memory), but it refers specifically to non-flash EEPROM which is erasable in small blocks, typically in bytes. Because erase cycles are slow, erasing flash memory in blocks gives it a significant speed advantage over non-flash EEPROM when writing large amounts of data. Flash memory stores information in an array of memory cells made from floating-gate transistors [1]. Flash memory controllers can be designed for operating in low duty cycle environments like SD cards, Compact Flashcards. Flash controllers can also be designed for higher duty-cycle environments like drives (SSD) used as data storage for laptop computer systems. Flash memory controller is used to control bit error synchronization failures and recovery of data rate. Flash memory controller is difficult to build in general purpose microcontroller system, it needs reconfigured hardware, FPGA provides platform for user configured environment. Flash memory controller is used to simplify the process of programming and erasing the memory along with taking care of all special operations required to update the flash memory contents [1]. Flash memory is used for easy and fast information storage in 1. Computers 2. Digital cameras 3. Home video game. 4. Memory Cards 5. USB Flash drives 6. Solid State drives for transfer of data between computers and other digital products. Background study When the system or device needs to read data from or write data to the flash storage, it will communicate with the flash controller. Devices like SD cards and USB flash drives typically have a small number of flash memory die so operations are limited to the speed of the individual flash memory die. In other hand a high- performance solid-state drive will have 100 or more die organized in a matrix and provided with parallel communication paths so that it increases speeds of operation. After manufacturing of flash storage device, the flash controller is first put to work formatting the flash memory storages, then and then only flash storages are operating properly. Because of this it maps out bad flash memory cells, and it allocates spare cells to be substituted for future failed cells. Some part of the spare cells is also used to hold the firmware which operates the controller and other special features for a particular storage device. A directory structure is created to allow the controller to convert requests for logical sectors into the physical locations on the actual flash memory chips [2, 3]. Flash storages broadly classified in to NAND and NOR types. NAND flash storages are used in USB and tablets. NOR-based flash has long erase and write times, but