next topic »

[on:]

Guys, I'm using the 24LC256 EEPROM on a project, but the 2Wire (TWI) library uses a fixed 5ms delay for each byte write, which slows down the whole process up. The chip datasheet explains that you can check to know if the chip finished up the write process, instead of just waiting a fixed time. This would help me out a lot, as it would speed up the whole thing up. Not to mention that the chip can handle 400khz, not just 100khz as stated in the TWI library. The idea is to make a small lib that reads and writes single bytes, or 64 bytes as it already does right now, making it easier to update the code with the product.

If you want to know what the project is, just follow my signature. ;-)

And thanks for any help in advance. 

Best Regards, WilliamK @ Wusik Dot Com

[Reply #1 on:]

Here's the code I'm currently using with the Wire Library.

Code:

void writeEEPROM(int deviceaddress, unsigned int eeaddress, byte data )
{
  Wire.beginTransmission(deviceaddress);
  Wire.send((int)(eeaddress >> 8));   // MSB
  Wire.send((int)(eeaddress & 0xFF)); // LSB
  Wire.send(data);
  Wire.endTransmission();
  delay(5);
}
byte readEEPROM(int deviceaddress, unsigned int eeaddress )
{
  byte rdata = 0xFF;
  Wire.beginTransmission(deviceaddress);
  Wire.send((int)(eeaddress >> 8));   // MSB
  Wire.send((int)(eeaddress & 0xFF)); // LSB
  Wire.endTransmission();
  Wire.requestFrom(deviceaddress,1);
  if (Wire.available()) rdata = Wire.receive();
  return rdata;
}

[Reply #2 on:]

Actually, by thinking it over again, what I really need is to change the code above and add a check for "is the write process done" instead of the 5ms delay. That would resolve my latency problems. ;-)

Wk

[Reply #3 on:]

William,
What does your "write check" look like?
Thanks

[Reply #4 on:]

Actually, after reading the EEPROM Chip 24LC256 Datasheet, it turns out that sending one byte or 64 bytes takes the same 5ms delay to write. So, I used the TWI lib to send 64 bytes and them I wait 5ms. Now its 64 times faster. ;-)

Wk

[Reply #5 on:]

Hi William,

You can only write 64 bytes at once if they are all in the same page or the address counter will wrap around !!  I tackled this issue in my EEPROM lib - http://arduino.cc/playground/Main/LibraryForI2CEEPROM -  In the lib I used a blocksize of 16 to keep the footprint [internal buffer] rather small, but it could be 32 or 64. Finally the lib also takes care of writes larger than pagesize automatically.

These features might be usefull.

Rob

[Reply #6 on:]

Ah, indeed, sorry I forgot to mention that. In my code I have a 132 byte buffer, as for reading there's no limitations, and for writing I always write in blocks of 64 bytes anyway. ;-)

Wk

[Reply #7 on:]

and for writing I always write in blocks of 64 bytes anyway

And you allways start at page boundaries ?  132 is not a multiple of 64?

[Reply #8 on:]

Yes, 0, 64, 128, ... I forgot to mention that too. 

Wk

[Reply #9 on:]

OK that makes life quite a bit easier