Patexia is looking for a programmable storage device that stores in its firmware a parameter critical for a write or erase operation to be successful on the first attempt.

Submitted documents describing this product:

• must be commercially available in US after 01/01/2005
• may include datasheets, product and installation manuals, or sales brochures as well as other similar types of documents

The submission, supported by one or more references, should describe hardware products for a programmable storage device that has stored in its firmware:

• a parameter critical for a write or erase operation to be successful on the first attempt

This parameter should be:

• determined for each individual programmable device (as opposed to predetermined for the entire product line)
• stored on the device firmware
• read and used during a write or erase operation to the device’s storage location, with the operation verified as successfully completed on the first attempt afterward

[Contest Update - August 31st, 2015]

The contest's main feature is described in question 4, where:

• the factory sets a parameter for each individual device to help it write/erase successfully each time it attempts to do so on the first try

For example, this parameter could be (in addition to other possibilities):

• the minimum voltage necessary to write to a data cell
• the location of defective memory blocks

The important traits are:

• this parameter is measured and written for each individual device (while two devices could share the same parameter value, it is measured individually for each one)
• the factory measures/writes this parameter into the devices firmware
• the parameter is required each time the device attempts to write or erase data

This contest is for an evidence of use search.

Contest icon by Arthur Shlain from the Noun Project.

Prize Distribution Rules

For this evidence of use contest, submitting members can earn multiple prizes based on the products from different companies that they submit.

Prizes will be distributed in the following manner:

• The prize pool of will be divided so that there will be prizes for each of up to 10 companies that have verified answers to at least the first three questions.
• You will be rewarded based on your submission to each company. We will keep awarding prizes until: the median score is reached, or the minimum prize awarded is $100.
• A “winner” is the user who has received the most number of awards for products from different companies.
• A “runner up” is any user who has received at least one prize for a product.