Controller for non-volatile memory system with a volatile memory that contains lists of erased data blocks

摘要

The controller of a non-volatile memory system stores lists of erased and recently erased data blocks in a volatile memory. The lists are transferred to the control data structures in the non-volatile less frequently than the contents of the lists changes, this is to reduce the number of read and write accesses to the memory for control data so as to speed up the write speed of data to the memory system. The controller can reconstruct the block control data from the control data stored in the non-volatile memory at any time. The lists can be transferred to the control data structures in the non-volatile memory at the same time as the other data such as the logical to physical mapping data. Also the controller can use the lists to storage data in blocks that have not been used so as to even out the block usage. Also disclosed is a method of operating a non-volatile memory using the controller.