Flash Chips memory organization & Microcontrollers Question

[bazz]

Hello,

I want to be able to flash my chips over USB Fast! While doing research I come across some questions.

I once built a GB Flasher that used an 8bit microcontroller (ATmega8515), and I've noticed that the all of the flash roms that are recommended for Gameboy and SNES are organized by 8 sections. IE a 4Mbit memory, 512K x 8 it will say for the datasheet, or 32 Mbit, 4Mbit x 8.

My 2 questions are 1:

1) Does the flash have to be organized in that way? I've seen other Flash memory out here (can't remember anything off the top of my head), and I scratched my head and wondered if they couldn't work?

2) What about using a 32bit micro controller for this line of work? Is that overkill? I ask because not much is coming up when i search for a micro controller and High-Speed USB, except for beefy chips.

Thanks in advance,
Bazz

[tepples]

The "x8" may just refer to 8 bits per byte. On the Super NES, you want x8 memory unless a coprocessor needs x16. On the Genesis, you always want x16 because its CPU has a 16-bit data bus. There will also be a size of "erase blocks" that defines the smallest amount you can reprogram at once.

[bazz]

Happy independence day!! I'm totally independent from giving a ****!!