Smart cable for connecting storage drives

Abstract

An intelligent cable for backplane storage management is provided. The cable can include a microcontroller, a power regulation circuit to adjust an input voltage from a power source and provide an output voltage to the microcontroller, a storage device coupled to the microcontroller, a first end portion to be coupled to one or more storage devices, and a second end portion to be coupled to a storage controller. The microcontroller can receive a sideband signal from the one or more storage drives and can transmit connection topology information to the storage controller based at least in part on the sideband signal.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Nonprovisional Patent Application No. 18 / 933,352, filed October 31, 2024, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 547,113, filed November 2, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to storage backplanes, and more specifically to smart cables for implementing backplane management functionality. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one or more examples, a cable is provided that may include a microcontroller, power conditioning circuitry for adjusting an input voltage from a power source and providing an output voltage to the microcontroller, a storage device coupled to the microcontroller, a first end to be coupled to one or more storage drivers, and a second end to be coupled to a storage controller. The microcontroller may receive sideband signals from the one or more storage drivers and may transmit connection topology information to the storage controller based at least in part on the sideband signals.

[0005] The connection topology information may include at least one of the maximum number of storage drives that can be coupled to the first end and the number of electrical links supported for each storage drive. The maximum number of storage drives that can be coupled to the first end may be eight storage drives. At least one of the maximum number of storage drives that can be coupled to the first end and the number of electrical links supported for each storage drive may be stored in the storage device. The connection topology information may include one or more drive types for coupling to the corresponding one or more storage drives at the first end. The one or more drive types may include the Non-Volatile Memory Fast (NVMe) protocol, the Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) protocol, and the Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) protocol. The number of electrical links supported for each storage drive may include information indicating that four electrical links are used per storage drive for NVMe; one electrical link is used per storage drive for SATA; and one or two electrical links are used per storage drive for SAS. The microcontroller may communicate with the storage controller via a common backplane management protocol. The cable may also include one or more indicators indicating the connection between one or more storage drives and the storage controller. One or more indicators may be light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Power regulation circuitry may provide output voltage to at least one of one or more memory drivers and memory controllers. The microcontroller may be housed within the housing of the cable plug connector.

[0006] According to one or more examples, a method is provided that may include: sending a sideband signal to and receiving a sideband signal from one or more storage drives coupled to a first end of a cable; and sending connection topology information to a storage controller coupled to a second end of the cable to enable communication between the one or more storage drives and the storage controller. The connection topology information may include at least one of a maximum number of storage drives that can be coupled to the first end and a number of electrical links supported for each storage drive. The maximum number of storage drives that can be coupled to the first end may be eight storage drives. At least one of the maximum number of storage drives that can be coupled to the first end and the number of electrical links supported for each storage drive may be stored in a storage device. The number of electrical links supported for each storage drive includes information indicating that: for storage drives using the NVMe protocol, four electrical links are used per storage drive; for storage drives using the SATA protocol, one electrical link is used per storage drive; and for storage drives using the SAS protocol, one or two electrical links are used per storage drive. The connection topology information may include one or more drive types for coupling to the corresponding one or more storage drives at the first end. One or more drive types may include the Non-Volatile Memory Fast (NVMe) protocol, the Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) protocol, and the Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) protocol. Communication between the one or more storage drives and the storage controller may be via a common backplane management protocol. The method may also include indicating the connection between the one or more storage drives and the storage controller. One or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) may be used to indicate the connection between the one or more storage drives and the storage controller. The method may also include adjusting an input voltage from a power source to generate an output voltage and providing the output voltage to a microcontroller. The method may also include providing the output voltage to at least one of the one or more storage drives and the storage controller. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 The diagram shows cables for connecting one or more storage drives, based on one or more examples.

[0008] Figure 2A and Figure 2B The diagram shows cables for connecting one or more storage drives, based on one or more examples. Detailed Implementation

[0009] Reference will now be made to the various examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals always denote the same elements. These examples may be presented in various forms, and are not limited to those described herein.

[0010] Backplanes are used to provide multiple electrical connections between various electrical components. For example, a backplane can be implemented on a printed circuit board and can include various types of connectors or "slots" to connect various hardware components, such as network interface cards (NICs), graphics cards, sound cards, disk controllers, modems, and other peripherals. Backplanes can also be used with computer servers to couple multiple removable storage drives. For example, a backplane can be used to couple hard disk drives or solid-state drives to a server motherboard or storage controller. However, backplanes can be pre-configured to accept only certain types of removable drives and, once installed, may not be removable to work with other servers. Therefore, a more flexible option is needed for coupling removable storage drives to a server motherboard or storage controller that also provides storage management functionality.

[0011] Figure 1 A cable 100 for connecting one or more storage drives 110 is shown according to one or more examples. Figure 1 The example cable 100 may include a first end 120 to be coupled to one or more storage drives 110. For example, the storage drive 110 may be a hard disk drive, a solid-state drive, or other type of storage device. According to one or more examples, the first end 120 may be able to couple to eight storage drives 110, but any number of storage drives 110 may be used. Figure 1 Example cable 100 may also include components to be coupled to the motherboard processor or memory controller. Figure 1 The second end 130 (not shown in the diagram). For example, a motherboard processor or storage controller can be used in a computer server utilizing storage drive 110.

[0012] Figure 1 The example cable 100 may also include a microcontroller 140, which may be housed within the housing of a plug connector at a first end 120 or a second end 130 of the cable 100. The microcontroller 140 may communicate with a motherboard processor or storage controller using one or more protocols such as Universal Backplane Management (UBM) SFF-TA-1005. The microcontroller 140 may send connection topology information to the motherboard processor or storage controller, enabling the motherboard processor or storage controller to send and receive information from one or more storage drives 110 accordingly. For example, the connection topology information may include at least one of the maximum number of storage drive 110 connectors on the cable 100 and the number of electrical links supported for each respective storage drive 110.

[0013] Figure 1 Example cable 100 may include a storage device that can be coupled to microcontroller 140 (e.g., hereinafter referred to as...). Figure 2A and Figure 2B The storage devices 210A and 210B described herein. For example, the storage device may be an electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM) inside the microcontroller 140 (e.g., Figure 2A Storage device 210A in the microcontroller 140). According to one or more examples, the storage device can be external to the microcontroller 140 (e.g., storage device 210A in the microcontroller 140). Figure 2B (Storage device 210B in the example). The storage device can store the number of connectors for the storage drive 110 of the cable 100, and the number of electrical links supported for each storage drive 110. This information can be hard-coded into the storage device during manufacturing or stored after manufacturing is complete. For example, for a storage drive 110 using the Non-Volatile Memory Faster (NVMe) protocol, the storage device can store information indicating that each storage drive 110 uses four electrical links. Similarly, for a storage drive 110 using the Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) protocol, the storage device can store information indicating that each storage drive 110 uses one electrical link, or for a storage drive 110 using the Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) protocol, information indicating that each storage drive 110 uses one or two electrical links. Additionally, the storage device may include additional information, such as a serial number, model number, and manufacturer's name, which can be hard-coded during manufacturing.

[0014] According to one or more examples, the motherboard processor or storage controller may be able to accommodate SAS, SATA, and NVMe storage drives 110, but needs to be configured accordingly. The microcontroller 140 may transmit and receive sideband signals to and from one or more storage drives 110 coupled to the first end 120 of the cable 100. Sideband signals may be additional communication lines between the microcontroller 140 and one or more storage drives 110, which process auxiliary data in addition to main data and control signals. Sideband signals may be used to manage, monitor, and control one or more storage drives 110, thereby providing functionality that does not involve direct data transfer operations. Sideband signals between the microcontroller 140 and one or more storage drives 110 may include power control signals (e.g., power enable, power good), reset signals, error and status indicators (e.g., active LEDs or fault signals), temperature monitoring signals, clock and synchronization signals, and vendor-specific control signals. While the main signals may handle actual data transfers and main control commands, the sideband signals may be auxiliary, providing support functions such as power management, status reporting, and environmental monitoring. The main signal can follow standard protocols for high-speed data transfer (e.g., SATA, NVMe, or PCIe). Sideband signals can use simpler signaling protocols (e.g., GPIO or I / O). 2(C) because they handle fewer time-critical and lower bandwidth tasks. Sideband signals can maintain the operational integrity, efficiency, and health of one or more storage drives 110 by managing power, reset, and status operations in the background. Sideband signals may contain connection topology information, such as information indicating the type of storage drive 110 coupled to the first end 120 of cable 100 (e.g., SAS, SATA, NVMe, etc.). As described above, microcontroller 140 can send connection topology information to the motherboard processor or storage controller to enable communication between one or more storage drives 110 and the server motherboard or storage controller.

[0015] According to one or more examples, cable 100 may include power regulation circuitry (e.g., Figure 2A and Figure 2B The power conditioning circuitry 220 (such as a voltage regulator) can receive an input voltage from a power source and adjust the input voltage to provide an output voltage at an appropriate voltage level for use by the microcontroller 140. According to one or more examples, the cable 100 may also include one or more indicators, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), to indicate the connection between one or more memory drives 110 and the motherboard processor or memory controller. The cable 100 may also provide power to one or more memory drives 110 and the motherboard processor or memory controller, and may also include electrical links for transmitting data between the one or more memory drives 110 and the motherboard processor or memory controller.

[0016] According to one or more examples, by incorporating the microcontroller 140 into the cable 100 instead of the backplane, the cable 100 can provide backplane management functionality for various types of servers. For example, the cable 100 according to one or more examples can work with platforms that have different physical parameters. Furthermore, the cable 100 according to one or more examples can achieve cost savings compared to cables that connect the storage drive 110 to the storage controller or motherboard processor, but relies on a separate controller chip to perform backplane management.

[0017] Figure 2A and Figure 2B A cable 100 for connecting one or more storage drives is shown according to one or more examples. As described above, the cable 100 may include a microcontroller 140. Figure 2A As shown, storage devices 210A, such as electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), can be internal to the microcontroller 140. For example... Figure 2BAs shown, storage device 210B can be external to microcontroller 140. Cable 100 may include power conditioning circuitry 220, such as a voltage regulator. Power conditioning circuitry 220 can receive input voltage from a power source and can adjust the input voltage to provide an output voltage at an appropriate level for use by microcontroller 140.

[0018] Various examples have been disclosed herein in conjunction with the foregoing description and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that describing and illustrating each combination and sub-combination of these examples literally would be an undue repetition. Therefore, all examples can be combined in any manner and / or combination, and this specification (including the accompanying drawings) should be construed as constituting a complete written description of all combinations and sub-combinations of the examples described herein, as well as the ways and processes of preparing and using them, and should support any claims to any such combinations or sub-combinations.

[0019] Those skilled in the art will understand that the examples described herein are not limited to those specifically shown and described above. Furthermore, unless the contrary is mentioned above, it should be noted that all figures are not drawn to scale. Various modifications and variations are possible in accordance with the above teachings.

Claims

1. A cable, the cable comprising: microcontroller; A power regulation circuit is used to adjust the input voltage from the power source and provide an output voltage to the microcontroller; Storage device, the storage device being coupled to the microcontroller; A first end, the first end being used for coupling to one or more storage drives; as well as The second end is used for coupling to the storage controller; The microcontroller is configured to receive sideband signals from the one or more storage drives and to transmit connection topology information to the storage controller based at least in part on the sideband signals.

2. The cable of claim 1, wherein the connection topology information includes at least one of the following: the maximum number of storage drives that can be coupled to the first end, and the number of electrical links supported for each storage drive.

3. The cable of claim 2, wherein the maximum number of storage drives that can be coupled to the first end is eight storage drives.

4. The cable of claim 2, wherein at least one of the maximum number of storage drives capable of being coupled to the first end and the number of electrical links supported for the respective storage drives is stored in the storage device.

5. The cable of claim 2, wherein the connection topology information includes one or more drive types of corresponding one or more storage drives coupled to the first end.

6. The cable of claim 5, wherein the one or more drive types include Non-Volatile Memory Fast (NVMe) protocol, Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) protocol, and Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) protocol.

7. The cable of claim 6, wherein the number of electrical links supported for the respective storage drive includes information indicating that: for storage drives using the NVMe protocol, four electrical links are used per storage drive; for storage drives using the SATA protocol, one electrical link is used per storage drive; and for storage drives using the SAS protocol, one or two electrical links are used per storage drive.

8. The cable of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is configured to communicate with the memory controller via a common backplane management protocol.

9. The cable of claim 1, further comprising one or more indicators for indicating a connection between the one or more storage drives and the storage controller.

10. The cable of claim 9, wherein the one or more indicators are light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

11. The cable of claim 1, wherein the power regulation circuit provides an output voltage to at least one of the one or more memory drivers and the memory controller.

12. The cable of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is disposed within the housing of the plug connector of the cable.

13. A method, the method comprising: Sending sideband signals to one or more memory drives coupled to the first end of the cable and receiving sideband signals from the one or more memory drives; as well as The connection topology information is sent to the storage controller, which is coupled to the second end of the cable to enable communication between the one or more storage drives and the storage controller.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the connection topology information includes at least one of the following: a maximum number of storage drives that can be coupled to the first end, and a number of electrical links supported for each storage drive.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the maximum number of storage drives that can be coupled to the first end is eight storage drives.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the maximum number of storage drives capable of being coupled to the first end and the number of electrical links supported for the respective storage drives is stored in the storage device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the number of electrical links supported for the respective storage drive includes information indicating that: for storage drives using the NVMe protocol, each storage drive uses four electrical links; for storage drives using the SATA protocol, each storage drive uses one electrical link; and for storage drives using the SAS protocol, each storage drive uses one or two electrical links.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the connection topology information includes one or more drive types of corresponding one or more storage drives coupled to the first end.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more drive types include the Non-Volatile Memory Fast (NVMe) protocol, the Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) protocol, and the Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) protocol.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the communication between the one or more storage drives and the storage controller is via a common backplane management protocol.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising indicating the connection between the one or more storage drives and the storage controller.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are used to indicate the connection between the one or more memory drives and the memory controller.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising: Adjust the input voltage from the power source to generate the output voltage; The output voltage is provided to the microcontroller.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising: The output voltage is provided to at least one of the one or more memory drivers and the memory controller.

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