Data control unit capable of correcting boot errors, and corresponding self-correction method

A boot method for a data control unit, comprising the steps of:

• downloading boot information from a nonvolatile memory to a temporary buffer of a boot-activation unit;
• activating a processing unit by said boot-activation unit;
• executing a boot code by said processing unit;
• downloading an operating code from said nonvolatile memory into a volatile memory through said boot-activation unit;
• verifying whether said boot information has a critical-error condition;
• and
• activating a spare memory portion of said nonvolatile memory in presence of said critical-error condition.

A data control unit, comprising:

• a processing unit;
• a nonvolatile memory having a first memory portion that stores boot information and a spare memory portion that stores a copy of the boot information;
• and
• a boot-activation unit connected to the processing unit and the nonvolatile memory, the boot-activation unit comprising:
• an error detector structured to detect a critical-error condition in the boot information before the boot information is sent from the boot-activation unit to the processing unit to activate the processing unit, and
• a redundancy-activator structured to activate the spare memory portion in presence of the critical-error condition.