EEPROMstyle

EEPROMstyle is a design approach for organizing and using EEPROM or EEPROM-like non-volatile memory in embedded systems. It emphasizes reliability, simplicity, and longevity by providing structured methods for storing configuration data, calibration parameters, logs, and small data blocks that must survive power cycles.

In practice, EEPROMstyle can apply to true EEPROM devices accessed over I2C or SPI, as well as to emulated EEPROM on flash memory. It typically uses byte-addressable storage, or small data blocks, with a lightweight library that abstracts writes and reads. The goal is to present a minimal, predictable interface that avoids unnecessary writes and preserves data integrity.

Key principles include minimizing write frequency, using wear-leveling or distribution of writes across memory, and ensuring data integrity through checksums or CRCs and version tags. Power-loss safe updates are implemented with atomic operations, journaling, or redundant copies. A clear separation between read and write paths helps prevent corruption during interrupts or resets.

Data organization often employs a block map, version counters, and separate areas for critical and non-critical data. Updates may be logged in a small header before the payload, with a clean old copy invalidated after a successful write. Redundant copies and simple recovery procedures support resilience against partial writes.

Common applications are configuration storage, calibration data, small telemetry counters, and data logs that must persist across resets without requiring high performance. Variants include true EEPROM devices, EEPROM emulation libraries that sit on top of flash memory, or external EEPROM chips. While EEPROMstyle stresses persistence, it remains distinct from full-featured file systems used on larger memory systems.