Support / Clarification for Chip Erase (0xC7 / 0x60) in SPI-NOR

[anysoft]

Hello,

First, thank you for your great work on Nando Programmer.

Background

I was testing SPI-NOR Chip Erase configuration in the database CSV. According to vendor datasheets (e.g. Winbond W25Q128FW), the command 0xC7 or 0x60 should erase the entire flash memory.

I tried the following configuration in erase com.:

• 0xC7 (199 decimal)

• 0x60 (96 decimal)
  and set block size = total size

But in practice, Nando Programmer did not perform a full chip erase. Only sector erase commands (0x20, 0x52, 0xD8) are working.

Question

• Does Nando Programmer currently support Chip Erase (C7h / 60h)?

• If yes, could you explain the correct way to configure it in the CSV?

• If not, would you consider adding support?

Proposal

Many common SPI-NOR flashes support Chip Erase. It is much faster than looping 4KB/64KB erases for large devices (64Mb, 128Mb, 1Gb). Adding support (or clarifying config) would be very helpful.

Common Erase Commands by Vendors

Vendor | 4KB Sector | 32KB Block | 64KB Block | Chip Erase -- | -- | -- | -- | -- Winbond | 0x20 | 0x52 | 0xD8 | 0xC7 / 0x60 Puya | 0x20 | 0x52 | 0xD8 | 0xC7 GigaDevice (GD) | 0x20 | 0x52 | 0xD8 | 0xC7 / 0x60 MXIC | 0x20 | (0x52 optional) | 0xD8 | 0xC7 ISSI | 0x20 | — | 0xD8 | 0xC7

(all require Write Enable (0x06) before execution, and WEL clears after erase finishes)

Motivation

Chip Erase saves significant time when erasing large NOR devices. For example:

• W25Q128 (16MB) full erase via 0x20 takes many minutes,

• while 0xC7 can complete in tens of seconds.

If Nando Programmer could support this, it would be a big usability improvement.

Thanks a lot for your consideration!