PROGMEM Corrupted Array

Question

I am trying to store a large number of values into a couple of arrays using PROGMEM, but I am finding that a few of the values are read back corrupted. I am storing just 1s and 0s, but when I read these values back, I will sometimes get values greater than 1. I am using a MEGA 2560 to do this.

// Each array contains 32000 values
const byte VALUES_1[] PROGMEM = { 1, 0, 1, .... 0 };
const byte VALUES_2[] PROGMEM = { 1, 1, 0, .... 0 };
const byte VALUES_3[] PROGMEM = { 1, 0, 1, .... 1 };
const byte VALUES_4[] PROGMEM = { 1, 0, 1, .... 1 };
const byte VALUES_5[] PROGMEM = { 1, 0, 1, .... 1 };

const long ARR_LEN = 32000;
long index = 0;

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(57600);
  while (!Serial) {}
}

byte readNextValue() {
  if (index >= 160000L) {
    return -1;
  }

  Serial.print(index);
  Serial.print(" ");

  long arr = index / ARR_LEN;
  long i = index % ARR_LEN;
  index++;

  byte j = -1;
  switch(arr) {
    case 0:
      j = pgm_read_byte_far(VALUES_1 + i);
      Serial.println(j);
      return j;
    case 1:
      j = pgm_read_byte_far(VALUES_2 + i);
      Serial.println(j);
      return j; 
    case 2:
      j = pgm_read_byte_far(VALUES_3 + i);
      Serial.println(j);
      return j;
    case 3:
      j = pgm_read_byte_far(VALUES_4 + i);
      Serial.println(j);
      return j;
    case 4:
      j = pgm_read_byte_far(VALUES_5 + i);
      Serial.println(j);
      return j;
  }

  Serial.println("Unable to return next value");
  return -1;
}

void loop() {
  // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
  readNextValue();
}

What I have noticed is that when I use pgm_read_byte_far for case 0 I will get garbage values for right away, but using pgm_read_byte_near will cause these garbage values to occur sometime later. Any insight to this problem is appreciated.

Answer 1

Just a follow up in case someone else has the same problem. One solution is Nick's answer in his comment, which grabs the far addresses first in the setup, storing them in an array, and using them. I

// Each array contains 32000 values
const byte VALUES_1[] PROGMEM = { 1, 0, 1, .... 0 };
const byte VALUES_2[] PROGMEM = { 1, 1, 0, .... 0 };
const byte VALUES_3[] PROGMEM = { 1, 0, 1, .... 1 };
const byte VALUES_4[] PROGMEM = { 1, 0, 1, .... 1 };
const byte VALUES_5[] PROGMEM = { 1, 0, 1, .... 1 };

long VALUES[] = { 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 };

const long ARR_LEN = 32000;
long index = 0;

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(57600);
  while (!Serial) {}

  VALUES[0] = (long) pgm_get_far_address(VALUES_1);
  VALUES[1] = (long) pgm_get_far_address(VALUES_2);
  VALUES[2] = (long) pgm_get_far_address(VALUES_3);
  VALUES[3] = (long) pgm_get_far_address(VALUES_4);
  VALUES[4] = (long) pgm_get_far_address(VALUES_5);
}

byte readNextValue() {
  if (index >= 160000L) {
    return -1;
  }

  Serial.print(index);
  Serial.print(" ");

  long arr = index / ARR_LEN;
  long i = index % ARR_LEN;
  index++;

  byte j = pgm_read_byte_far(VALUES[arr] + i);
  Serial.println(j);

  return j;
}

void loop() {
  // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:
  readNextValue();
}

This runs perfectly with all bytes correct. The better answer would be to convert the bytes into bits like everyone else was saying in order to save memory space.