24AA256/24LC256/24FC256
6.3
Write Protection
6.0
6.1
WRITE OPERATIONS
Byte Write
The WP pin allows the user to write-protect the entire
array (0000-7FFF) when the pin is tied to VCC. If tied to
VSS the write protection is disabled. The WP pin is
sampled at the Stop bit for every Write command
(Figure 1-1). Toggling the WP pin after the Stop bit will
have no effect on the execution of the write cycle.
Following the Start condition from the master, the
control code (four bits), the Chip Select (three bits) and
the R/W bit (which is a logic low) are clocked onto the
bus by the master transmitter. This indicates to the
addressed slave receiver that the address high byte will
follow after it has generated an Acknowledge bit during
the ninth clock cycle. Therefore, the next byte
transmitted by the master is the high-order byte of the
word address and will be written into the Address
Pointer of the 24XX256. The next byte is the Least
Significant Address Byte. After receiving another
Acknowledge signal from the 24XX256, the master
device will transmit the data word to be written into the
addressed memory location. The 24XX256 acknowl-
edges again and the master generates a Stop
condition. This initiates the internal write cycle and
during this time, the 24XX256 will not generate
Acknowledge signals (Figure 6-1). If an attempt is
made to write to the array with the WP pin held high, the
device will acknowledge the command but no write
cycle will occur, no data will be written, and the device
will immediately accept a new command. After a byte
Write command, the internal address counter will point
to the address location following the one that was just
written.
Note:
Page write operations are limited to
writing bytes within a single physical page,
regardless of the number of bytes
actually being written. Physical page
boundaries start at addresses that are
integer multiples of the page buffer size
(or ‘page size’) and end at addresses that
are integer multiples of [page size – 1]. If
a Page Write command attempts to write
across a physical page boundary, the
result is that the data wraps around to the
beginning of the current page (overwriting
data previously stored there), instead of
being written to the next page, as might be
expected. It is, therefore, necessary for
the application software to prevent page
write operations that would attempt to
cross a page boundary.
Note:
When doing a write of less than 64 bytes
the data in the rest of the page is
refreshed along with the data bytes being
written. This will force the entire page to
endure a write cycle, for this reason
endurance is specified per page.
6.2
Page Write
The write control byte, word address and the first data
byte are transmitted to the 24XX256 in much the same
way as in a byte write. The exception is that instead of
generating a Stop condition, the master transmits up to
63 additional bytes, which are temporarily stored in the
on-chip page buffer, and will be written into memory
once the master has transmitted a Stop condition.
Upon receipt of each word, the six lower Address
Pointer bits are internally incremented by one. If the
master should transmit more than 64 bytes prior to
generating the Stop condition, the address counter will
roll over and the previously received data will be over-
written. As with the byte write operation, once the Stop
condition is received, an internal write cycle will begin
(Figure 6-2). If an attempt is made to write to the array
with the WP pin held high, the device will acknowledge
the command, but no write cycle will occur, no data will
be written and the device will immediately accept a new
command.
1998-2013 Microchip Technology Inc.
DS20001203U-page 9
MICROCHIP [ MICROCHIP ]
