External flash write

[savagerex]

Board

ESP32 Wrover e

Device Description

External flash

Hardware Configuration

NONE

Version

v2.0.11

IDE Name

Arduino IDE

Operating System

Windows 11

Flash frequency

80M

PSRAM enabled

yes

Upload speed

921600

Description

i use "fwrite"API to write flash about 1.7M.

it need 22 seconds.

I think it spends too much time.

Is there any other API that can be faster?

Sketch

// Create a file in FAT FS
    ESP_LOGI(TAG, "Opening file");
    FILE *f = fopen("/extflash/hello.txt", "wb");
    if (f == NULL) {
        ESP_LOGE(TAG, "Failed to open file for writing");
        return;
    }
    //fprintf(f, "Written using ESP-IDF %s\n", esp_get_idf_version());
    for (i = 0; i < 1781999; i++) {
                DataBufWrite[i] = '1';
                //Serial.print(i);
    }
    StartTestTime = millis();                  
    fwrite (DataBufWrite, sizeof(uint8_t), 1782000, f);
    
    fclose(f);
    //ESP_LOGI(TAG, "File written");
    Serial.println("File written");
    EndTestTime = millis();
    Serial.print("**************Flash Write Time*************");
    Serial.println(EndTestTime - StartTestTime);

Debug Message

NONE

Other Steps to Reproduce

No response

I have checked existing issues, online documentation and the Troubleshooting Guide

• I confirm I have checked existing issues, online documentation and Troubleshooting guide.

[SuGlider]

I don't think that it can be speeded up. External flash shall be erased and then written, sector by sector, in sequence.
It takes time to write it for 1.7MB. For instance, flashing a new firmware with about 2MB will take longer as well.

Anyway, this code is based on an IDF component. Maybe asking in the IDF Forum may be better.

[igrr]

@savagerex which flash chip are you connecting?

For example, GD25Q32 datasheet indicates a typical 50ms erase time for a single sector. So even without data transfer, write operation is limited by 4kB/50ms = 80kB/s. Which is very close to the speed you are getting.

[SuGlider]

Based on the last related issue #8479 - it seems that the Flash chip is the W25Q256JV

[SuGlider]

Datasheet: https://www.winbond.com/hq/support/documentation/?__locale=en&line=/product/code-storage-flash-memory/index.html&family=/product/code-storage-flash-memory/serial-nor-flash/index.html&category=/.categories/resources/datasheet/&pno=W25Q256JV

[savagerex]

OK, Thanks

[VojtechBartoska]

Closing this as answered.