A method to communicate data from a first unit to a second unit over a bus includes initiating an n-block data transfer, where n>1; for a first n-1 data blocks transferred from the first unit to the second unit, controlling a status signal generated by the second unit to be a buffer busy/ready status signal after each of the n-1 data blocks to inform the first unit of when the first unit may transfer the next data block; and for the n.sup.th data block transferred from the first unit to the second unit, controlling the status signal to be a programming busy/ready status signal after the n.sup.th data block to inform the first unit of a termination of internal programming, if any, by the second unit.