Abstract: A method for operating a memory includes applying at least one pulse to a group of analog memory cells, so as to cause the memory cells in the group to assume respective storage values. After applying the pulse, the respective storage values are read from the memory cells in the group. One or more statistical properties of the read storage values are computed. A wear level of the group of the memory cells is estimated responsively to the statistical properties.

Abstract: A method for data storage includes providing a memory, which includes first memory cells having a first reading latency and second memory cells having a second reading latency that is higher than the first reading latency. An item of data intended for storage in the memory is divided into first and second parts. The first part is stored in the first memory cells and the second part is stored in the second memory cells. In response to a request to retrieve the item of data from the memory, the first part is read from the first memory cells and provided as output. The second part is read from the second memory cells, and provided as output subsequently to outputting the first part.

Abstract: A method for data storage in analog memory cells includes defining multiple programming states for storing data in the analog memory cells. The programming states represent respective combinations of more than one bit and correspond to respective, different levels of a physical quantity stored in the memory cells. The data is stored in the memory cells by applying to the memory cells programming pulses that cause the levels of the physical quantity stored in the memory cells to transition between the programming states, such that a given transition is caused by only a single programming pulse.

Abstract: A method for operating a memory (20) includes storing analog values in an array of analog memory cells (22), so that each of the analog memory cells holds an analog value corresponding to at least first and second respective bits. A first indication of the analog value stored in a given analog memory cell is obtained using a first set of sampling parameters. A second indication of the analog value stored in the given analog memory cell is obtained using a second set of sampling parameters, which is dependent upon the first indication. The first and second respective bits are read out from the given analog memory cell responsively to the first and second indications.

Abstract: A method for operating a memory that includes multiple analog memory cells includes storing data in the memory by writing first storage values to the cells, so as to cause the cells to hold respective electrical charge levels. After storing the data, second storage values are read from at least some of the cells, including at least one interfered cell that belongs to a group of cells. A Back Pattern Dependency (BPD) distortion caused by the electrical charge levels of one or more interfering cells in the group to at least one of the second storage values read from the at least one interfered cell is detected and canceled. The second storage values, including the at least one of the second storage values in which the BPD distortion was canceled, are processed so as to reconstruct the data.

Abstract: A method includes defining a nominal level of a physical quantity to be stored in analog memory cells for representing a given data value. The given data value is written to the cells in first and second groups of the cells, which have respective first and second programming responsiveness such that the second responsiveness is different from the first responsiveness, by applying to the cells in the first and second groups respective, different first and second patterns of programming pulses that are selected so as to cause the cells in the first and second groups to store respective levels of the physical quantity that fall respectively in first and second ranges, such that the first range is higher than and the second range is lower than the nominal level. The given data value is read from the cells at a later time.

Abstract: A method for operating a memory (28) includes storing data, which is encoded with an Error Correction Code (ECC), in analog memory cells (32) of the memory by writing respective analog input values selected from a set of nominal values to the analog memory cells. The stored data is read by performing multiple read operations that compare analog output values of the analog memory cells to different, respective read thresholds so as to produce multiple comparison results for each of the analog memory cells. At least two of the read thresholds are positioned between a pair of the nominal values that are adjacent to one another in the set of the nominal values. Soft metrics are computed responsively to the multiple comparison results. The ECC is decoded using the soft metrics, so as to extract the data stored in the analog memory cells.

Abstract: A method for data storage includes storing data in a target analog memory cell, which is one of a group of analog memory cells that are connected in series with one another, by writing an input storage value into the target memory cell. A first read operation, which reads a first output storage value from the target memory cell while biasing the other memory cells with respective first pass voltages, is applied to the target memory cell. A second read operation, which reads a second output storage value from the target memory cell while biasing the other memory cells with respective second pass voltages, is applied to the target memory cell. At least one of the second pass voltages is different from a respective first pass voltage. The data is reconstructed responsively to the first and second output storage values.

Abstract: A method for data storage includes storing data in a group of analog memory cells by writing into the memory cells in the group respective storage values, which program each of the analog memory cells to a respective programming state selected from a predefined set of programming states. The programming states include at least first and second programming states, which are applied respectively to first and second subsets of the memory cells, whereby the storage values held in the memory cells in the first and second subsets are distributed in accordance with respective first and second distributions. Respective first and second medians of the first and second distributions are estimated, and a read threshold is calculated based on the first and second medians. The data is retrieved from the analog memory cells in the group by reading the storage values using the calculated read threshold.