Date:   Wed, 7 Dec 2016 14:07:50 +0100
From:   Cyrille Pitchen <cyrille.pitchen@...el.com>
To:     "Krzeminski, Marcin (Nokia - PL/Wroclaw)" 
        <marcin.krzeminski@...ia.com>, Marek Vasut <marek.vasut@...il.com>,
        Cyrille Pitchen <cyrille.pitchen@...ev4u.fr>
CC:     "boris.brezillon@...e-electrons.com" 
        <boris.brezillon@...e-electrons.com>,
        "computersforpeace@...il.com" <computersforpeace@...il.com>,
        "linux-mtd@...ts.infradead.org" <linux-mtd@...ts.infradead.org>,
        "linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
        "richard@....at" <richard@....at>
Subject: Re: [PATCH 1/1] mtd: spi-nor: remove WARN_ONCE() message in
 spi_nor_write()

Le 07/12/2016 à 07:21, Krzeminski, Marcin (Nokia - PL/Wroclaw) a écrit :
> Hi Cyrille,
> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: linux-mtd [mailto:linux-mtd-bounces@...ts.infradead.org] On Behalf
>> Of Marek Vasut
>> Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2016 4:07 AM
>> To: Cyrille Pitchen <cyrille.pitchen@...ev4u.fr>; Cyrille Pitchen
>> <cyrille.pitchen@...el.com>
>> Cc: boris.brezillon@...e-electrons.com; computersforpeace@...il.com;
>> linux-mtd@...ts.infradead.org; linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org;
>> richard@....at
>> Subject: Re: [PATCH 1/1] mtd: spi-nor: remove WARN_ONCE() message in
>> spi_nor_write()
>>
>> On 12/07/2016 12:38 AM, Cyrille Pitchen wrote:
>>> Le 06/12/2016 à 20:00, Marek Vasut a écrit :
>>>> On 12/06/2016 06:14 PM, Cyrille Pitchen wrote:
>>>>> This patch removes the WARN_ONCE() test in spi_nor_write().
>>>>> This macro triggers the display of a warning message almost every
>>>>> time we use a UBI file-system because a write operation is performed
>>>>> at offset 64, which is in the middle of the SPI NOR memory page.
>>>>> This is a valid operation for ubifs.
>>>>
>>>> Is that a valid operation for all spi nors ?
>>>>
>>>
>>> AFAIK, yes, it is. First we need to erase a sector or a block, then we
>>> can send page program commands to write data into the memory. We
>>> cannot write more than a page size within a single page program
>>> command but you can write less and start in the middle of a page if you
>> want.
>>
> Technically you can, but for some chips this warning is indeed right, and at 
> least force the user to take a look. See this:
> 
> http://www.macronix.com/Lists/ApplicationNote/Attachments/1606/AN0302V1%20-%20MX25L_G%20Serial%20Flash%20Programming%20Guide.pdf
> 

This Macronix document recommends to align both the start offset and the
length to a 16-byte boundary. However the WARN_ONCE() macro only checks the
start offset but doesn't test the length. Also it tests a page-size
alignment, which is a stronger constraint than a 16-byte alignment.

In the case of Macronix mx25l_g memories, when the UBI layer writes at
offset 64, the warning is a false positive, isn't it?

Also WARN_ONCE() dumps the call stack making people think of a kernel oops,
displayed once per boot when mounting a ubifs partition.

If the issue exists, printing a warning does not fix it.

So what should we do?

Best regards,

Cyrille

> Thanks,
> Marcin
> 
>> I wasn't aware this partial and even unaligned programming was available on
>> all chips, OK.
>>
>>> I don't know whether we could cross the page boundary if we start
>>> writing from the middle of a page as long as we write less data than a
>>> single page size. However spi_nor_write() don't do so, this is why it
>>> computes page_remain = min_t(size_t, nor->page_size - page_offset, len
>>> - i)
>>
>> No, I don't think we can, I believe the PP would wrap around and program
>> the same page from the beginning.
>>
>>> Well, now looking at the Spansion S25FL127S datasheet, the address is
>>> wrapped if we cross the page boundary:
>>
>> Yeah, this matches my mental model.
>>
>>> "Depending on the device configuration, the page size can either be
>>> 256 or 512 bytes. Up to a page can be provided on SI after the 3-byte
>>> address with instruction 02h or 4-byte address with instruction 12h
>>> has been provided. If the 9 least significant address bits (A8-A0) are
>>> not all 0, all transmitted data that goes beyond the end of the
>>> current page are programmed from the start address of the same page
>>> (from the address whose 9 least significant bits (A8-A0) are all 0)
>>> i.e. the address wraps within the page aligned address boundaries.
>>> This is a result of only requiring the user to enter one single page
>>> address to cover the entire page boundary."
>>>
>>> Then from Adesto AT25DF321A datasheet:
>>> "If the starting memory address denoted by A23-A0 does not fall on an
>>> even 256-byte page boundary (A7-A0 are not all 0), then special
>>> circumstances regarding which memory locations to be programmed will
>>> apply. In this situation, any data that is sent to the device that
>>> goes beyond the end of the page will wrap around back to the beginning
>>> of the same page. For example, if the starting address denoted by
>>> A23-A0 is 0000FEh, and three bytes of data are sent to the device,
>>> then the first two bytes of data will be programmed at addresses
>>> 0000FEh and 0000FFh while the last byte of data will be programmed at
>>> address 000000h. The remaining bytes in the page (addresses 000001h
>>> through 0000FDh) will not be programmed and will remain in the erased
>>> state (FFh). In addition, if more than 256-bytes of data are sent to
>>> the device, then only the last 256-bytes sent will be latched into the
>> internal buffer."
>>>
>>>
>>> Besides, the wear leveling is handled by the ubi layer I guess, at the
>>> spi-nor level we write raw data. Maybe Richard and Boris could tell us
>>> more but talking with them I've understood that's it is normal for the
>>> ubi layer to write at offset 64.
>>
>> I'd understand RMW, but pure write seems a bit odd.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Best regards,
>> Marek Vasut
>>
>> ______________________________________________________
>> Linux MTD discussion mailing list
>> http://lists.infradead.org/mailman/listinfo/linux-mtd/
> 

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