diff --git a/arena_console.html b/arena_console.html
index 2c2e4c8..7b0014f 100644
--- a/arena_console.html
+++ b/arena_console.html
@@ -1434,7 +1434,7 @@
                         >
                             SD card
                             <button id="sd-purge-btn" disabled
-                                title="Delete ALL patterns from SD card (DELETE_ALL_PATTERNS 0x8F)">xXx</button>
+                                title="Format the SD card - wipes patterns, firmware image, and manifests (PURGE_MEMORY 0x8F)">xXx</button>
                             <span
                                 id="sd-count-badge"
                                 title="Pattern files on SD card (GET_FILE_COUNT 0x80). Click to refresh."
@@ -2590,10 +2590,10 @@
 
             $('sd-purge-btn').addEventListener('click', async () => {
                 if (!session.connected) return;
-                if (!confirm('Delete ALL patterns from SD card? This cannot be undone.')) return;
+                if (!confirm('Format the SD card? This wipes ALL patterns, the panel firmware image, and manifests. This cannot be undone.')) return;
                 const resp = await run(
-                    'delete-all-patterns',
-                    Wire.encodeDeleteAllPatterns(),
+                    'purge-memory',
+                    Wire.encodePurgeMemory(),
                     (r) => (r && r.ok ? 'done' : null),
                     { timeoutMs: 30000 }
                 );
diff --git a/arena_studio.html b/arena_studio.html
index 44a8548..a7f35d7 100644
--- a/arena_studio.html
+++ b/arena_studio.html
@@ -2703,7 +2703,7 @@ <h2 id="modalTitle">Import error</h2>
                 </div>
               </div>
               <button class="pill" data-cmd="csdarchive" title="Download the whole SD as a ZIP (GET_SD_ARCHIVE 0x8A)">Download ZIP</button>
-              <button class="pill danger" data-cmd="csdpurge" title="Delete ALL patterns (DELETE_ALL_PATTERNS 0x8F)">Purge…</button>
+              <button class="pill danger" data-cmd="csdpurge" title="Format the SD card - wipes patterns, firmware image, and manifests (PURGE_MEMORY 0x8F)">Purge…</button>
               <input id="cSdFile" type="file" accept=".pat" style="display:none">
               <input id="cSdFolder2" type="file" webkitdirectory directory style="display:none">
             </div>
@@ -4900,7 +4900,7 @@ <h2 id="modalTitle">Import error</h2>
     }
     Studio.clearConsoleAutoStop = clearAutoStop; // Run-path pre-emption (module block)
 
-    // The firmware refuses SD-write + ISP commands (0x8D/0xE0/0x8A/0xC8/0xC9)
+    // The firmware refuses SD-write + ISP commands (0x8D/0xE0/0x8A/0x8F/0xC8/0xC9)
     // unless the display is stopped (state ALL_OFF — CE_DISPLAY_ACTIVE with
     // "Stop display before …" otherwise). STOP_DISPLAY also BLANKS the panels
     // (they latch their last frame, so the controller pushes a dark frame).
@@ -5028,8 +5028,9 @@ <h2 id="modalTitle">Import error</h2>
         },
         csdpurge: () => guardDestructive(async () => {
             if (!connected()) return;
-            if (!confirm('Delete ALL patterns from the SD card? This cannot be undone.')) return;
-            const r = await send(Wire.encodeDeleteAllPatterns(), 'DELETE_ALL_PATTERNS 0x8F', { timeoutMs: 30000 });
+            if (!confirm('Format the SD card? This wipes ALL patterns, the panel firmware image, and manifests. This cannot be undone.')) return;
+            await quiesceDisplay(); // 0x8F requires the display stopped
+            const r = await send(Wire.encodePurgeMemory(), 'PURGE_MEMORY 0x8F', { timeoutMs: 30000 });
             if (r && Wire.decodeResponse(r) && Wire.decodeResponse(r).ok) sdRefresh();
         }),
         // panel firmware
@@ -14929,7 +14930,7 @@ <h2 id="modalTitle">Import error</h2>
     '[data-cmd="csdlist"]': 'Re-read the memory card’s pattern list.',
     '[data-cmd="cpatinfo"]': 'Ask the arena again about the selected pattern (frames, size).',
     '[data-cmd="csdarchive"]': 'Download every pattern on the card as one ZIP file.',
-    '[data-cmd="csdpurge"]': 'Delete ALL patterns from the card. It will ask first.',
+    '[data-cmd="csdpurge"]': 'Erase everything on the memory card, patterns, panel firmware, all of it, by reformatting it. It will ask first.',
     '[data-cmd="cmemsd"]': 'Show the patterns on the SD memory card.',
     '[data-cmd="cmempsram"]': 'Show the patterns in the controller’s RAM.',
     '#cPatThumb': 'Preview of the selected pattern — hover to animate multi-frame patterns.',
diff --git a/docs/development/arena-studio-wireframe-v6.html b/docs/development/arena-studio-wireframe-v6.html
index a8915bd..8db33c8 100644
--- a/docs/development/arena-studio-wireframe-v6.html
+++ b/docs/development/arena-studio-wireframe-v6.html
@@ -710,7 +710,7 @@ <h3>Sequence · test any single condition ▶
                 </div>
               </div>
               <button class="pill" data-help="Download every pattern on the card as one ZIP">Download ZIP</button>
-              <button class="pill danger" data-help="Delete ALL patterns from the card (confirms first)">Purge…</button>
+              <button class="pill danger" data-help="Erase everything on the card, patterns, panel firmware, all of it, by reformatting it (confirms first)">Purge…</button>
             </div>
             <div class="memb" data-mem="sd">
               <table class="sdtable">
diff --git a/js/arena-wire-g6.js b/js/arena-wire-g6.js
index ae8bad3..373796c 100644
--- a/js/arena-wire-g6.js
+++ b/js/arena-wire-g6.js
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ const ArenaWireG6 = (function () {
         GET_PATTERN_FILE: 0x84, // [03 84 idx_lo idx_hi] 1-based; response: uint64 LE size, then raw bytes
         SET_PATTERN_FILE: 0x85, // [0x85, idx_lo, idx_hi, len64 LE, data…] upload file (bulk stream)
         DELETE_PATTERN_FILE: 0x86, // [03 86 idx_lo idx_hi] delete 1-based pattern; idx=0 deletes pattern.temp
-        DELETE_ALL_PATTERNS: 0x8f, // [01 8F] delete all files in /patterns
+        PURGE_MEMORY: 0x8f, // [01 8F] format the SD card (wipes everything, not just /patterns)
         GET_SD_ARCHIVE: 0x8a, // [01 8A] stream full SD as ZIP; only in ALL_OFF state
         STOP_DISPLAY: 0x30,
         STREAM_FRAME: 0x32, // host-streamed full frame ("FR"+blocks; see encodeStreamFrame)
@@ -507,9 +507,11 @@ const ArenaWireG6 = (function () {
         return frame(OPCODES.GET_PATTERN_FILE, u16le(index, 'index')); // 03 84 lo hi
     }
 
-    // delete-all-patterns (0x8F) — delete every file in /patterns.
-    function encodeDeleteAllPatterns() {
-        return frame(OPCODES.DELETE_ALL_PATTERNS); // 01 8F
+    // purge-memory (0x8F): format the SD card (wipes everything, not just
+    // /patterns: also /firmware/panel.bin and both manifests). Much slower
+    // than the per-file delete it replaced; give it a generous timeout.
+    function encodePurgeMemory() {
+        return frame(OPCODES.PURGE_MEMORY); // 01 8F
     }
 
     // delete-pattern-file (0x86) — delete the pattern at 1-based index.
@@ -853,7 +855,7 @@ const ArenaWireG6 = (function () {
         encodeGetPatternFile,
         encodeSetPatternFile,
         encodeDeletePatternFile,
-        encodeDeleteAllPatterns,
+        encodePurgeMemory,
         encodeGetSdArchive,
         encodeSetFirmwareFile,
         encodeGetFirmwareInfo,