Storage of control data information

In a Solid State memory device including memory cells and a controller in communication with the memory cells, a method for memory block recycling, the method comprising:

• detecting, by the controller, initiation of a control block exchange event, wherein the control block exchange event is initiated when a control block is full;
• determining, when the control block is full, whether a spare block is available in a spare block pool;
• and
• generating a debug block by copying, in response to determining the spare block is available in the spare block pool, control information from the control block to the spare block.

A data storage device, comprising:

• a memory interface configured to interface with a non-volatile memory, the non-volatile memory including a plurality of memory blocks, wherein the plurality of memory blocks includes a spare block pool of spare blocks, and wherein at least one memory block is a control block storing control information;
• and
• an electronic processor configured to:
• identify, during a formatting operation of the non-volatile memory, a spare block,
• reserve, during the formatting operation of the non-volatile memory, the spare block for storing the control information from the control block,
• add the spare block to the spare block pool,
• detect initiation of a control block exchange event, and
• generate a debug block by copying, in response to the control block exchange event, the control information from the control block to the spare block in the spare block pool.