Paper Title: A Universal Flash Controller Instruction Set

Paper Abstract: NAND Flash from different vendors have differences in their operation. The ideal NAND Flash Controller Module (NFCM) is capable of interoperating with these flash chips despite these slight differences. Moreover, it should have a firmware interface that provides forward compatibility with future NAND Flash chips without a new tapeout. This presentation will cover the creation of NSQI (NFCM Sequence Instructions) and how NSQI was designed for interoperability and forward-compatibility among flash vendors. This discussion will include comparing two use cases of NSQI with chips from two leading Asia-Pacific flash vendors.

Paper Author: Michael Etzkorn, SoC Architect, Sage Micro

Author Bio: Michael Etzkorn graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Computer Engineering. He is currently the principal lead for Sage-Dallas Design team's SoC-level architecture including the architectural interfaces between firmware and hardware.