METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING CELL LIFE OF SEQUENTIAL COUNTERS STORED IN NON-VOLATILE MEMORY

摘要

A method and apparatus for updating and storing a counter value. In response to each of a plurality of N counter update signals, a binary memory cell is selected (350) from a plurality of binary memory cells and the state of the selected binary memory cell is inverted (360). After the N counter update signals are received (320), a register that is separate from the plurality of binary memory cells is incremented (340), and the process is then repeated in response to further counter update signals (320). Each of the plurality of binary memory cells is inverted on average an equal number of times during each repetition of the process. The states of the plurality of binary memory cells and the value in the register represent the counter value at any given time.