Counter with non-uniform digit base

A computer system comprising:

• a bus;
• a processor coupled to the bus;
• a nonvolatile memory device coupled to the bus to receive commands from the processor, the commands including an increment command, the nonvolatile memory device including
• a nonvolatile storage array organized in digits having non-uniform bases;
• and
• circuitry to increment a count value represented by the digits in response to the increment command.

A computer system comprising:

• a bus;
• a processor coupled to the bus;
• a security co-processor coupled to the bus to receive commands and data from the processor;
• and
• a nonvolatile memory device coupled to receive commands from the security co-processor, the commands including an increment, command, the nonvolatile memory device including
• a nonvolatile storage array organized in digits having non-uniform bases;
• and
• circuitry to increment a count value represented by the digits in response to the increment command.

A method comprising:

• receiving a command to increment a counter implemented in a nonvolatile storage device, the nonvolatile storage device including a nonvolatile storage array organized in digits that have non-uniform bases, the digits defining the counter;
• searching each of the digits in order of significance until a least significant unprogrammed bit of one of the digits is found;
• and
• programming the unprogrammed bit to carry out the increment command.