Abnormality detection and protection circuit for energy storage capacitor of storage device and method thereof

Abstract

This application relates to an anomaly detection and protection circuit and method for the energy storage capacitor of a storage device, and a power management unit for the storage device that realizes anomaly detection, comprising: a boost circuit, a charge / discharge control circuit, a charge / discharge management unit, and an energy storage capacitor; the boost circuit is connected to the first terminal of the charge / discharge control circuit, the second terminal of the charge / discharge control circuit is connected to the first terminal of the energy storage capacitor, the second terminal of the energy storage capacitor is grounded, and the boost circuit is used to connect to the interface of the storage device; the charge / discharge management unit is connected to the control terminal of the boost circuit, and controls the charging of the energy storage capacitor by controlling the opening and closing of the boost circuit; the charge / discharge management unit is connected to the first terminal and the second terminal of the charge / discharge control circuit, and detects whether the energy storage capacitor is abnormal; the charge / discharge management unit is used to connect to the control component of the storage device, and can supply power to various components of the storage device through the control component according to the anomaly of the energy storage capacitor. This application can improve the reliability of the storage device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to storage technology, and more particularly to an abnormality detection and protection circuit and method for the energy storage capacitor of a storage device. Background Technology

[0002] Figure 1 A block diagram illustrating a prior art storage device is shown. Storage device 102 is coupled to a host to provide storage capabilities to the host. The host and storage device 102 can be coupled in various ways, including but not limited to connections via SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment), SCSI (Small Computer System Interface), SAS (Serial Attached SCSI), IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics), USB (Universal Serial Bus), PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express), NVMe (NVM Express), Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and wireless communication networks. The host can be an information processing device capable of communicating with the storage device via the aforementioned methods, such as a personal computer, tablet computer, server, laptop computer, network switch, router, cellular phone, or personal digital assistant. Storage device 102 includes interface 103, control unit 104, one or more NVM chips 105, and DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) 110.

[0003] NAND flash memory, phase change memory, FeRAM (Ferroelectric RAM), MRAM (Magnetic Random Access Memory), RRAM (Resistive Random Access Memory), XPoint memory, etc. are common NVMs.

[0004] Interface 103 can be adapted to exchange data with the host via methods such as SATA, IDE, USB, PCIe, NVMe (NVM Express), SAS, Ethernet, and Fibre Channel.

[0005] The control unit 104 is used to control data transfer between the interface 103, the NVM chip 105, and the DRAM 110. It is also used for memory management, host logical address to flash physical address mapping, erase leveling, bad block management, etc. The control unit 104 can be implemented in various ways, including software, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof. For example, the control unit 104 can be in the form of an FPGA (Field-programmable gate array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof. The control unit 104 may also include a processor or controller, in which software executes to manipulate the hardware of the control unit 104 to process I / O (Input / Output) commands. The control unit 104 can also be coupled to the DRAM 110 and can access the data in the DRAM 110. FTL tables and / or cached I / O command data can be stored in the DRAM.

[0006] The control unit 104 includes a flash interface controller (or media interface controller, flash channel controller), which is coupled to the NVM chip 105 and issues commands to the NVM chip 105 in accordance with the interface protocol of the NVM chip 105 to operate the NVM chip 105, and receives the command execution results output from the NVM chip 105. Known NVM chip interface protocols include "Toggle", "ONFI", etc.

[0007] When storage device 102 is operating, it obtains power from the host via interface 103. To prevent data loss that has not yet been written to NVM in the storage device due to unexpected host shutdown or power failure, the storage device also includes a backup power supply to provide emergency power to the various components of the storage device in the event of an unexpected power outage. Power management unit 120 manages the power supply to the various components, including the backup power supply. For example, power management unit 120 obtains power from interface 103 and distributes power to the various components of storage device 102. Power management unit 120 also controls the power-on and power-off sequence of the various components of storage device 102 and monitors the power consumption of storage device 102. In the example where the backup power supply is energy storage capacitor 125, power management unit 120 also boosts the voltage supplied to the backup power supply to increase the energy stored in the backup power supply. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Compared to other components of electronic devices, backup power supplies in storage devices are less reliable. Because they need to store large amounts of energy for extended periods and operate at high voltages, they are prone to failure. For example, when using capacitors as backup power, the voltage across a charged capacitor can reach tens of volts, far exceeding the operating voltage of other components in the storage device. Prolonged exposure to high voltage can cause the capacitor plates to break down and short-circuit. A short-circuited capacitor poses a safety hazard and reduces the energy storage capacity of the backup power supply. Short circuits in energy storage capacitors may be subtle, manifesting only as heating, leakage, and / or varying degrees of voltage reduction across the capacitor. Due to the reduced energy storage capacity, short circuits in energy storage capacitors can also cause the storage device to operate for less than its designed lifespan after a power outage, thus reducing the device's reliability.

[0009] Therefore, abnormal detection circuits and protection mechanisms for energy storage capacitors are needed to enhance the reliability of storage devices. Furthermore, short-circuit faults in energy storage capacitors can occur at any time after the storage device leaves the factory. Emergency protection for electronic devices is also required after a sudden short circuit in the energy storage capacitor to prevent damage to the storage device and to allow the storage device time to handle the short-circuit event in the energy storage circuit, thereby reducing the risk of data loss.

[0010] According to a first aspect of this application, a power management unit for a first storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided, comprising: a boost circuit, a charge / discharge control circuit, a charge / discharge management unit, and an energy storage capacitor; wherein, the boost circuit is connected to a first terminal of the charge / discharge control circuit, a second terminal of the charge / discharge control circuit is connected to a first terminal of the energy storage capacitor, the second terminal of the energy storage capacitor is grounded, and the boost circuit is also used to connect to an interface of the storage device; the charge / discharge management unit is connected to a control terminal of the boost circuit, and controls the charging of the energy storage capacitor by controlling the opening and closing of the boost circuit; furthermore, the charge / discharge management unit is also connected to the first terminal and the second terminal of the charge / discharge control circuit to detect whether the energy storage capacitor is abnormal; the charge / discharge management unit is also used to connect to a control component of the storage device, and can supply power to various components of the storage device via the control component according to the abnormality of the energy storage capacitor.

[0011] According to the power management unit of the first storage device of the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the second storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided, wherein a boost circuit is used to connect to the power input pin of the interface of the storage device.

[0012] According to the power management unit of the first storage device according to the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the third storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided. In response to power-on, the charge-discharge management unit ensures that the boost circuit is turned off and detects whether the energy storage capacitor is abnormal through the charge-discharge control circuit. If the energy storage capacitor is normal, the charge-discharge management unit turns on the boost circuit to charge the energy storage capacitor through the charge-discharge control circuit. If the energy storage capacitor is abnormal, the boost circuit remains turned off.

[0013] According to the power management unit of the third storage device according to the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the fourth storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided. In response to power-on, the charge-discharge management unit detects an induced current on the charge-discharge control circuit. If the induced current weakens or disappears after a predetermined time period, the energy storage capacitor is normal; if the induced current continues to exist, the energy storage capacitor is abnormal.

[0014] According to the power management unit of the third storage device of the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the fifth storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided. After a predetermined time of power-on, if the charge-discharge management unit detects no induced current on the charge-discharge control circuit, or the induced current is within a predetermined range, the energy storage capacitor is normal; after a predetermined time of power-on, if the charge-discharge management unit detects induced current on the charge-discharge control circuit, or the induced current exceeds a predetermined value, the energy storage capacitor is abnormal.

[0015] According to the power management unit of the fourth or fifth storage device according to the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the sixth storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided, wherein the operating voltage of the power input pin of the storage device interface / the power input pin of the storage device interface generates an induced voltage on the charge and discharge control circuit, and the induced voltage charges the energy storage capacitor to form an induced current.

[0016] According to one of the power management units of the third to sixth storage devices of the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the seventh storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided. If the energy storage capacitor is abnormal, the charge and discharge management unit supplies power to the control unit and informs the control unit that the energy storage capacitor is abnormal; or the charge and discharge management unit does not supply power to the control unit, but supplies power to the indicator light so as to indicate the energy storage capacitor is abnormal through the indicator light.

[0017] According to one of the power management units of the third to sixth storage devices according to the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the eighth storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided, wherein in response to the completion of charging of the energy storage capacitor, the charge and discharge management unit supplies power to the various components of the storage device; or, during the charging of the energy storage capacitor, the charge and discharge management unit supplies power to the various components of the storage device to shorten the time from power-on to being able to respond to host IO commands.

[0018] According to one of the power management units of the third to eighth storage devices of the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the ninth storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided. After the energy storage capacitor is fully charged, the charge and discharge management unit monitors the current supplied to the energy storage capacitor through the charge and discharge control circuit to detect whether the energy storage capacitor has failed. If the energy storage capacitor fails when it is fully charged, the charge and discharge management unit discharges the energy storage capacitor through the charge and discharge control circuit.

[0019] According to the power management unit of the ninth storage device of the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the tenth storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided, wherein if the current supplied to the energy storage capacitor through the charge and discharge control circuit exceeds a predetermined value, the energy storage capacitor malfunctions.

[0020] According to the power management unit of the tenth storage device of the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the eleventh storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided, with a predetermined value of 20mA.

[0021] According to one of the power management units of the ninth to eleventh storage devices according to the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the twelfth storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided. A detection resistor connected in series with the first pole of the energy storage capacitor is included between the first terminal of the charge-discharge control circuit and the second terminal of the charge-discharge control circuit. The current supplied to the energy storage capacitor by the charge-discharge control circuit is monitored by measuring the voltage across the detection resistor between the first terminal of the charge-discharge control circuit and the second terminal of the charge-discharge control circuit.

[0022] According to one of the power management units of the ninth to eleventh storage devices according to the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the thirteenth storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided. A detection resistor connected in series with the first pole of the energy storage capacitor is included between the first terminal of the charge / discharge control circuit and the second terminal of the charge / discharge control circuit. The charge / discharge management unit detects the magnitude and direction of the current in the detection resistor by measuring the voltage across the first terminal and the second terminal, so as to identify whether the energy storage capacitor has failed.

[0023] According to one of the power management units of the ninth to thirteenth storage devices of the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the fourteenth storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided, which periodically monitors the current supplied to the storage capacitor through the charge and discharge control circuit in response to the instruction of the control unit, in response to a sudden drop in voltage between the plates of the energy storage capacitor, and / or in response to the voltage between the plates of the energy storage capacitor being less than a predetermined value.

[0024] According to one of the power management units of the first to fourteenth storage devices according to the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the fifteenth storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided. In response to an abnormal power failure, or in response to a power-down, or in response to receiving a shutdown command, the charge-discharge management unit discharges the energy storage capacitor through a charge-discharge control circuit.

[0025] According to one of the power management units of the ninth to fifteenth storage devices of the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the sixteenth storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided, which identifies that the discharge of the energy storage capacitor is complete by detecting the voltage of the energy storage capacitor or the current on the charge / discharge control circuit when discharging the energy storage capacitor.

[0026] According to one of the power management units of the ninth to sixteenth storage devices of the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the seventeenth storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided. In response to the discharge of the energy storage capacitor, the charge and discharge management unit notifies the control unit that the discharge of the energy storage capacitor is complete, so that the control unit shuts down the storage device.

[0027] According to one of the power management units of the third to seventeenth storage devices according to the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the eighteenth storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided, wherein the charge and discharge control circuit includes a current-limiting resistor connected between a first terminal and a second terminal to reduce the current for charging or discharging the energy storage capacitor.

[0028] The power management unit of the eighteenth storage device according to the first aspect of this application provides a power management unit of the nineteenth storage device according to the first aspect of this application, wherein the detection resistor and the current limiting resistor between the first and second terminals of the charge / discharge control circuit are the same resistor.

[0029] According to the power management unit of the eighteenth or nineteenth storage device of the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the twentieth storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided, wherein the current limiting resistor has a resistance value of 100 ohms.

[0030] According to one of the power management units of the eighteenth to twentieth storage devices of the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the twenty-first storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided. The charge / discharge control circuit further includes: a diode / MOSFET switch connected in parallel with a current-limiting resistor between a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the cathode of the diode / MOSFET switch is connected to the first terminal and the anode of the diode / MOSFET switch is connected to the second terminal; the charge / discharge management unit is also connected to the control terminal of the diode / MOSFET switch to control the opening and closing of the diode / MOSFET switch.

[0031] According to the power management unit of the twenty-first storage device of the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the twenty-second storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided. During the period when the energy storage capacitor is fully charged and retains its charge, the charge / discharge management unit ensures that the diode / MOSFET switch is turned off to prevent the charge of the energy storage capacitor from being discharged through the diode / MOSFET switch.

[0032] According to the power management unit of the twenty-second storage device of the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the twenty-third storage device of the first aspect of this application is provided. In response to a failure of the energy storage capacitor, a portion of the charge of the energy storage capacitor is discharged to ground through a current-limiting resistor. In response to the detection of a failure of the energy storage capacitor, the charge / discharge management unit turns on the diode / MOSFET switch. In response to the turn on of the diode / MOSFET switch, the charge of the energy storage capacitor is discharged from the current-limiting resistor to the diode / MOSFET switch, and the charge / discharge management unit and the control unit supply power to the various components of the storage device.

[0033] According to the power management unit of the twenty-third storage device of the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the twenty-fourth storage device of the first aspect of this application is provided, wherein the charge and discharge management unit detects the failure of the energy storage capacitor within 100ms after the energy storage capacitor fails.

[0034] According to one of the power management units of the third to twenty-fourth storage devices according to the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the twenty-fifth storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided. After the energy storage capacitor is fully charged, during normal operation of the storage device, the charge and discharge management unit discharges the energy storage capacitor through the charge and discharge control circuit to identify the charge of the energy storage capacitor.

[0035] According to one of the power management units of the third to twenty-fifth storage devices of the first aspect of this application, a power management unit of the twenty-sixth storage device according to the first aspect of this application is provided, wherein during the time period when the storage device will not lose power or the storage device does not need to provide high-reliability data storage capability, the charge-discharge management circuit discharges the energy storage capacitor through the charge-discharge control circuit.

[0036] According to a second aspect of this application, a first storage device according to the second aspect of this application is provided, comprising: an interface of the storage device, a control unit, an NVM, a DRAM, and a power management unit of the storage device as described in any one of the above; a boost circuit of the power management unit of the storage device is connected to the interface of the storage device; and a charge / discharge management unit of the power management unit of the storage device is connected to the control unit of the storage device to supply power to the control unit, the NVM, and the DRAM.

[0037] According to a third aspect of this application, a method for controlling the charging and discharging of an energy storage capacitor in a first storage device according to the third aspect of this application is provided, comprising the following steps: in response to power-on, ensuring that the charging path for charging the energy storage capacitor is closed, and detecting whether the energy storage capacitor is abnormal; if the energy storage capacitor is normal, opening the charging path to charge the energy storage capacitor; if the energy storage capacitor is abnormal, keeping the charging path closed; after the energy storage capacitor is charged, during the operation of the storage device, detecting whether the energy storage capacitor has failed; if the energy storage capacitor has not failed, proceeding to the next round of detecting whether the energy storage capacitor has failed; if the energy storage capacitor has failed, closing the charging path and opening the energy discharge path of the energy storage capacitor to discharge the energy storage capacitor.

[0038] According to the charging and discharging control method of the energy storage capacitor of the first storage device according to the third aspect of this application, a charging and discharging control method of the energy storage capacitor of the second storage device according to the third aspect of this application is provided. An induced current is detected on the charging path, and if the induced current weakens or disappears after a predetermined time period, the energy storage capacitor is normal; if the induced current continues to exist, the energy storage capacitor is abnormal.

[0039] According to the charging and discharging control method of the energy storage capacitor of the first storage device according to the third aspect of this application, the charging and discharging control method of the energy storage capacitor of the third storage device according to the third aspect of this application is provided. If no induced current is detected in the charging path after a predetermined time of power-on, or if the induced current is within a predetermined range, the energy storage capacitor is normal; if an induced current is detected in the charging path after a predetermined time of power-on, or if the induced current exceeds a predetermined value, the energy storage capacitor is abnormal.

[0040] According to the charging and discharging control method of the energy storage capacitor of the first storage device according to the third aspect of this application, a charging and discharging control method of the energy storage capacitor of the fourth storage device according to the third aspect of this application is provided. If no voltage is detected across the current limiting resistor in the charging path, or the voltage is less than a specified threshold, the energy storage capacitor is normal; if the voltage across the current limiting resistor in the charging path is greater than the specified threshold, the energy storage capacitor is abnormal.

[0041] According to one of the charging and discharging control methods for the energy storage capacitor of the first to fourth storage devices according to the third aspect of this application, a charging and discharging control method for the energy storage capacitor of the fifth storage device according to the third aspect of this application is provided, wherein power is supplied to each component of the storage device in response to the completion of charging of the energy storage capacitor; or, power is supplied to each component of the storage device during the charging of the energy storage capacitor, so as to shorten the time from power-on to being able to respond to host IO commands.

[0042] According to one of the charging and discharging control methods for the energy storage capacitor of the first to fifth storage devices according to the third aspect of this application, a charging and discharging control method for the energy storage capacitor of the sixth storage device according to the third aspect of this application is provided, wherein if the current in the charging path exceeds a predetermined value, the energy storage capacitor malfunctions.

[0043] According to the charging and discharging control method of the energy storage capacitor of the sixth storage device according to the third aspect of this application, a charging and discharging control method of the energy storage capacitor of the seventh storage device according to the third aspect of this application is provided, wherein the predetermined value is 20mA.

[0044] According to one of the charging and discharging control methods for the energy storage capacitors of the first to fifth storage devices according to the third aspect of this application, a charging and discharging control method for the energy storage capacitors of the eighth storage device according to the third aspect of this application is provided, wherein if the voltage across the current limiting resistor in the charging path is greater than a predetermined value, the energy storage capacitor malfunctions.

[0045] According to one of the charging and discharging control methods for the energy storage capacitor of the first to eighth storage devices according to the third aspect of this application, a charging and discharging control method for the energy storage capacitor of the ninth storage device according to the third aspect of this application is provided, wherein in response to the discharge of the energy storage capacitor, a control unit is notified of the discharge of the energy storage capacitor so that the control unit shuts down the storage device.

[0046] According to one of the charging and discharging control methods for the energy storage capacitor of the first to ninth storage devices according to the third aspect of this application, a charging and discharging control method for the energy storage capacitor of the tenth storage device according to the third aspect of this application is provided. In response to an abnormal power failure, or in response to a power-off, or in response to receiving a shutdown command, the energy discharge path of the energy storage capacitor is opened, causing the energy storage capacitor to discharge. Attached Figure Description

[0047] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0048] Figure 1 A block diagram showing a storage device using existing technology;

[0049] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating the anomaly detection mechanism of the energy storage capacitor according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0050] Figure 3A A block diagram of a power management unit according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0051] Figure 3B A block diagram of an energy storage capacitor according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0052] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating the energy storage capacitor charging and discharging management process according to an embodiment of this application is provided. Detailed Implementation

[0053] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0054] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating the anomaly detection mechanism of the energy storage capacitor according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0055] Figure 2 In this embodiment, the energy storage capacitor 228 serves as a backup power source. The power management unit of the storage device 200 includes a boost circuit 222, a charge / discharge control circuit 224, a charge / discharge management unit 226, and an energy storage capacitor 228. The power input pin of the interface 203 of the storage device 200 is connected to the boost circuit 222. The boost circuit 222 boosts the voltage of the power supplied by the host to the storage device 200 and provides the boosted voltage to the energy storage capacitor 228. The charge of the energy storage capacitor 228 is proportional to the square of the voltage across it, thereby increasing the amount of charge stored in the energy storage capacitor 228 by boosting the voltage. The boost circuit 222 is connected to the energy storage capacitor 228 through the charge / discharge control circuit 224. The charge / discharge management unit 226 is connected to the charge / discharge control circuit 224, manages the charge / discharge process of the energy storage capacitor 228 by controlling the operating state of the charge / discharge control circuit 224, and provides protection for the energy storage capacitor 228.

[0056] When the power obtained from the interface 203 of the storage device 200 is normal, the obtained power is provided to the various components of the storage device 200 (e.g., control component 204, NVM 205 and DRAM 210), and to charge the energy storage capacitor 228 or keep the energy storage capacitor 228 in a charging state through the boost circuit 222 and the charge and discharge control circuit 224.

[0057] In response to a power-down or shutdown command received by the storage device 200, the control unit 204 notifies the charge / discharge management unit 226 of the power-down event. The charge / discharge management unit 226 discharges the energy storage capacitor 228 via the charge / discharge control circuit 224 to empty the energy stored in the energy storage capacitor 228, thereby preventing the remaining charge in the energy storage capacitor 228 from causing negative or unexpected effects on the storage device. For example, if the energy storage capacitor 228 has a large amount of residual charge, this charge might cause the control unit 204 to restart after shutdown. However, due to insufficient charge in the energy storage capacitor 228, the control unit 204 might shut down again after restarting, potentially leading to data corruption or component damage to the storage device 200.

[0058] When the storage device 200 experiences an abnormal power failure (no power-down or shutdown command is received, but normal power cannot be obtained from the interface), the charge / discharge management unit 226 discharges the energy storage capacitor 228 through the charge / discharge control circuit 224. The electrical energy released by the energy storage capacitor 228 is then redistributed by the charge / discharge management unit 226 to the various components of the storage device 200 to maintain the short-term operation of the storage device 200. The charge / discharge management unit 226 also notifies the control unit 204 of the occurrence of the abnormal power failure. In response, the control unit 204 performs corresponding processing to urgently shut down the storage device 200.

[0059] Since the energy storage capacitor 228 may fail at any time, according to the embodiments of this application, one or more mechanisms are also used to detect the failure of the energy storage capacitor 228 and prevent the failure of the energy storage capacitor 228 from damaging the components of the storage device 200, and also to prevent the emergency shutdown process of the storage device 200 from failing due to insufficient power of the energy storage capacitor 228 after an abnormal power outage.

[0060] Before the storage device 200 is powered on, the energy storage capacitor 228 may have already failed. According to an embodiment of this application, in response to the power-on of the storage device 200, before charging the energy storage capacitor 228, the charge / discharge management unit 226 detects whether the energy storage capacitor 228 is abnormal via the charge / discharge control circuit 224. At this time, the charge / discharge management unit 226 does not activate the boost circuit 222 (or ensures that the boost circuit 222 is off). Figure 2As indicated by (1), the charging path from the power input pin of the interface 203 of the storage device 200 to the energy storage capacitor 228 has not yet been established. At this time, the power input pin of the interface of the storage device 200 has a supply voltage (e.g., 5V or 12V). Although the boost circuit 222 is not turned on, the charging and discharging control circuit 224 connected to the energy storage capacitor 228 will generate an induced voltage due to the operating voltage of the power input pin, and a weak charging current will be formed in the electrical path due to the charging effect of the induced voltage on the energy storage capacitor 228. When there is no short circuit fault in the energy storage capacitor 228, the charging current will weaken or disappear after a period of time. However, when there is a short circuit fault in the energy storage capacitor 228, the charging current will continue to exist. Therefore, after the storage device 200 is powered on, the charge / discharge management unit 226 does not activate the boost circuit 222, and after a specified time (e.g., several milliseconds) after power-on, it detects the current flowing from the charge / discharge control circuit 224 to the energy storage capacitor 228, or the voltage generated by that current, thereby identifying whether the energy storage capacitor 228 has a short circuit or other fault. For example, during this period, if the current flowing from the charge / discharge control circuit 224 to the energy storage capacitor 228 exceeds, for example, 5mA, it serves as a sign of a fault in the energy storage capacitor 228. If a fault in the energy storage capacitor 228 is identified, the charge / discharge management unit 226 will not activate the boost circuit 222 to avoid charging the faulty energy storage capacitor 228. Optionally, the charge / discharge management unit 226 may supply power to components such as the control unit 204 of the storage device, causing the control unit 204 to start and informing the control unit 204 of the fault in the energy storage capacitor 228. Alternatively, after identifying a fault in the energy storage capacitor 228, the charge / discharge management unit 226 may neither activate the boost circuit 222 nor supply power to components such as the control unit 204 (or NVM 205, DRAM 210), and may indicate the occurrence of the fault to the user through indicator lights or other means.

[0061] After the storage device 200 is powered on, if the energy storage capacitor 228 is found to be normal (no abnormal state), the charge / discharge management unit 226 activates the boost circuit 222. Figure 2 (2) indicates that the energy storage capacitor 228 is charged through the charge / discharge control circuit 224. Figure 2(3) indicates. During the charging process of the energy storage capacitor 228, due to the presence of a large charging current, the charge / discharge management unit 226 is temporarily unable to detect whether the energy storage capacitor 228 is short-circuited. Optionally or further, in order to avoid the large charging current from adversely affecting the host power supply system at the moment of starting the charging of the energy storage capacitor 228, the charge / discharge control circuit 224 also includes a current limiting device in the charging path of the energy storage capacitor 228 to avoid generating excessive current during the charging process. The current limiting device is, for example, a resistor (also called a current limiting resistor). The presence of this current limiting resistor allows the charge / discharge management unit 226 to identify the current supplied to the energy storage capacitor 228 by measuring the voltage across the resistor. Optionally or further, during the charging of the energy storage capacitor 228, the charge / discharge management unit 226 still does not supply power to the control component 204, and only supplies power to the control component 204 after the charging of the energy storage capacitor 228 is completed, so that the control component 204 operates in the state of the energy storage capacitor 228 being fully charged after power-on, to ensure the reliability of the storage device 200. Alternatively, in order to shorten the time from power-on to when the storage device 200 can respond to host I / O commands, the charge / discharge management unit 226 may supply power to the control unit 204 in advance, even if the energy storage capacitor 228 has not yet finished charging.

[0062] After charging of the energy storage capacitor 228 is complete, the current supplied to the energy storage capacitor 228 by the charge / discharge control circuit 224 disappears, or a small current is maintained to preserve the charge of the energy storage capacitor 228. During normal operation of the storage device 200, the energy storage capacitor 228 is kept fully charged. The charge / discharge management unit 226 discharges the energy storage capacitor 228 through the charge / discharge control circuit 224. For example, the energy storage capacitor 228 is discharged to measure its charge (the charge of the energy storage capacitor 228 is identified by the change in the discharge current and the voltage of the energy storage capacitor 228). As another example, during periods when the storage device 200 is known not to lose power or does not require high-reliability data storage capabilities, the charge / discharge management circuit 224 discharges the energy storage capacitor 228 to reduce its voltage, thereby reducing the time the energy storage capacitor 228 carries high voltage and extending its lifespan.

[0063] According to an embodiment of this application, after charging the energy storage capacitor 228 is completed, the charge / discharge management unit 226 also monitors the current supplied to the energy storage capacitor 228 through the charge / discharge control circuit 224, and uses this current to check whether the energy storage capacitor 228 has experienced leakage or short circuit. During the operation of the energy storage capacitor 228, faults such as short circuits or leakage may occur. In this case, the current supplied to the energy storage capacitor 228 through the charge / discharge control circuit 224 increases (greater than the normal value) to detect short circuits or leakage faults in the energy storage capacitor 2278. The charge / discharge management unit 226 identifies whether the current is too high by, for example, the voltage across the current-limiting resistor of the charge / discharge control circuit 224. As an example, the charge / discharge management unit 226 periodically, or in response to an instruction from the control component 204, initiates the detection of the current supplied to the energy storage capacitor 228 through the charge / discharge control circuit 224. As another example, the charge / discharge management unit 226 also monitors the voltage between the plates of the energy storage capacitor 228. In the event of a sudden voltage drop or a voltage below a specified threshold, it initiates detection of the current supplied to the energy storage capacitor 228 through the charge / discharge control circuit 224. For example, during this period, if the current flowing from the charge / discharge control circuit 224 to the energy storage capacitor 228 exceeds, for example, 20mA, it serves as a sign of a fault in the energy storage capacitor 228.

[0064] In response to the detection of a fault in the energy storage capacitor 228, and to prevent abnormal discharge of the energy storage capacitor 228 from damaging the storage device 200, the charge / discharge management unit 226 also activates the charge / discharge control circuit 224. Figure 2 The energy storage capacitor 228 is actively discharged by the (4) instruction. For example, by opening the path that supplies power to the various components of the storage device 200 by the energy storage capacitor 228 during an abnormal power outage, the energy storage capacitor 228 discharges through the charge and discharge control circuit 224. Figure 2 The flow from (5) indicator to charge / discharge management unit 226 ( Figure 2 (6) indicates), and then flows to control component 204 ( Figure 2 The charge / discharge management unit 226, as instructed by (7), actively discharges the charge of the energy storage capacitor 228. Optionally, during the discharge of the charge of the energy storage capacitor 228, the charge / discharge management unit 226 also keeps the boost circuit 222 off.

[0065] Furthermore, since the failure of the energy storage capacitor 228 is random, the detection of the failure by the charge / discharge management unit 226 may be later than the occurrence of the failure. If the failure occurs after the energy storage capacitor 228 has occurred but the charge / discharge management unit 226 has not yet detected it, the failure of the energy storage capacitor 228 puts the storage device 200 in danger; for example, excessive current release caused by a short circuit can damage components in the current path. Since the charge / discharge control circuit 224 is connected in series with the energy storage capacitor 228, the short-circuit current discharged by the energy storage capacitor 228 will cause the same current to appear in the charge / discharge control circuit 224. Excessive short-circuit current discharged by the energy storage capacitor 228 can be avoided by setting a current-limiting resistor in the charge / discharge control circuit 224. Furthermore, the current-limiting resistor used to limit the short-circuit current discharged by the energy storage capacitor 228 can be the same as or a group of resistors used to limit excessive current when the storage device 200 is powered on or during the charging process of the energy storage capacitor 228. For example, the resistance of this resistor is 100 ohms. Since this resistor is located on the charging and discharging paths of the energy storage capacitor 228, the resistance value should not be too large to avoid excessive heat generated during charging and discharging, which would cause energy waste. The resistance value should also not be too small, otherwise it will not be able to limit the current.

[0066] Optionally or further, discharging current through a resistor in the energy storage capacitor 228 generates heat, which is harmful to the electronic components of the storage device 200. After the charge / discharge management unit 226 detects a fault in the energy storage capacitor 228, the charge / discharge control circuit 224 provides a low-resistance path for discharging the energy from the energy storage capacitor 228, for example, a discharge path provided by a controlled diode or MOSFET switch.

[0067] Optionally, the charge / discharge management unit 226 may also detect the completion of the discharge of the energy storage capacitor 228. For example, it may detect the completion of the discharge by detecting the voltage or discharge current of the energy storage capacitor 228. The control unit 204 is then notified of the completion of the discharge of the energy storage capacitor 228. Thus, the storage device 200 can be shut down without posing any further safety hazards.

[0068] Figure 3A A block diagram of a power management unit according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0069] The power management unit includes a boost circuit 222, a charge / discharge control circuit 224, a charge / discharge management unit 226, and an energy storage capacitor 228. The power input pin of the storage device 200 is connected to the boost circuit 222. The boost circuit 222 increases the voltage provided by the power input pin and outputs it to the first terminal 320 of the charge / discharge control circuit 224. The second terminal 340 of the charge / discharge control circuit 224 is connected to the energy storage capacitor 228. The two plates of the energy storage capacitor 228 are connected between the second terminal 340 of the charge / discharge control circuit 224 and ground (GND).

[0070] The charge / discharge management unit 226 is connected to the control terminal 310 of the boost circuit 222 to control the boost circuit 222 to turn it on or off. For example, the charge / discharge management unit 226 is connected to the control terminal (transistor / MOSFET) of the switching transistor in the boost circuit 222 to control the boost circuit 222 to turn on or off by applying or removing a predetermined voltage to the control terminal of the switching transistor. When the boost circuit 222 is turned on, it boosts the voltage of the power input pin and provides it to the charge / discharge control circuit 224. When the boost circuit 222 is turned off, it cuts off the path from the power input pin to the charge / discharge control circuit 224.

[0071] The charge / discharge management unit 226 is also connected to the control terminal of the diode (D1) of the charge / discharge control circuit 224. By applying or removing a predetermined voltage to the control terminal of the diode (D1), the diode (D1) can be controlled to turn on or off. When the diode D1 is turned on, it operates according to the principle of a diode, connecting the two ends of the diode D1. When the diode D1 is turned off, the connection between the two ends of the diode D1 is disconnected.

[0072] The charge / discharge management unit 226 also provides power to components of the storage device 200, such as the control unit 204, DRAM 210, and NVM 205. The charge / discharge management unit 226 is also connected to the control unit 204 to provide an interrupt signal to the control unit 204. In response to the interrupt signal, the control unit 204 processes the interrupt and identifies the event indicated to the control unit 204 by the charge / discharge management unit 226 (e.g., a failure of the energy storage capacitor 228).

[0073] The charge / discharge management unit 226 is also connected to the first terminal 320 and the second terminal 340 of the charge / discharge control circuit 224 to detect the current flowing through resistor R1 and / or the voltage across resistor R1. The current flowing through resistor R1 typically represents the current flowing through energy storage capacitor 228.

[0074] The charge / discharge control circuit 224 includes a resistor R1 and a diode D1 connected in parallel between the first terminal 320 and the second terminal 340. The anode of the diode D1 is connected to the second terminal 340 and the cathode is connected to the first terminal 320.

[0075] After the storage device 200 is powered on, and during the charging of the energy storage capacitor 228 by the boost circuit 222, the charging current flows from the first terminal 320 to the second terminal 340. The voltage at the first terminal 320 is higher than the voltage at the second terminal 340, the diode D1 is cut off, and the charging current is supplied to the energy storage capacitor 228 from the resistor R1. The resistor R1 also acts as a current-limiting resistor during the charging process of the energy storage capacitor 228, preventing excessive current from forming in the charging path at the beginning and during charging. For example, the value of the resistor R1 is 100 ohms. After the energy storage capacitor 228 is fully charged, during the energy storage state, the charging current flowing through the resistor R1 is 0 or only a weak current to provide leakage current for the energy storage capacitor 228. At this time, the voltages at the first terminal 320 and the second terminal 340 are approximately equal, and the diode D1 remains cut off. Optionally, after the storage device 200 is powered on, the energy storage capacitor 228 is charged, and during the period when the energy storage capacitor 228 maintains its charge, the charge and discharge management unit 226 also turns off the diode D1 to further prevent the current of the energy storage capacitor 228 from being discharged from the diode D1.

[0076] When the energy storage capacitor 228 provides power to components such as control unit 204, the power supply to the power input pin is lost, and the voltage at the first terminal 320 is lower than the voltage at the second terminal 340. The charge / discharge management unit 226 controls the diode D1 to turn on, and the voltage at the second terminal 340 is higher than that at the first terminal 320, causing the diode D1 to conduct. The power released by the energy storage capacitor 228 is supplied from the diode D1 to the charge management unit 226, and then to the control unit 204 to power the storage device 200.

[0077] Optionally, shortly after an abnormal power outage, the charge / discharge management unit 226 may not yet respond to activate the charge / discharge control circuit 224. Because the voltage at the first terminal 320 drops below the voltage at the second terminal 340, the power in the energy storage capacitor 228 forms a current flowing from the second terminal 340 to the first terminal 320, which is discharged through resistor R1. Thus, resistor R1 in the charge / discharge control circuit 224 provides a path for the discharge of the energy storage capacitor 228.

[0078] Optionally or further, if the energy storage circuit malfunctions, such as a short circuit, a current flows from the energy storage capacitor 228 to ground (GND), which in turn causes a current to flow from resistor R1 to the energy storage capacitor 228. The charge / discharge management unit 226 detects the magnitude and direction of the current in resistor R1 by measuring the voltage across the first terminal 320 and the second terminal 340, thereby identifying whether the energy storage capacitor 228 has malfunctioned. If a short circuit occurs in the fully charged state of the energy storage capacitor 228, the current flows from the first terminal 320 to the second terminal 340, and then is discharged to ground through the energy storage current. At this time, resistor R1 also acts as a current-limiting resistor to prevent excessive short-circuit current due to the high voltage of the energy storage capacitor 228. After the energy storage capacitor 228 malfunctions, before the charge / discharge management unit 226 identifies the fault and responds, the discharge current of the energy storage capacitor 228 flows through resistor R1 (from the first terminal 320 to the second terminal 340). After the charge / discharge management unit 226 activates diode D1 in response to the fault detection, the discharge current of the energy storage capacitor 228 flows from diode D1 to the charge / discharge management unit 226, which then manages the current discharge of the energy storage capacitor 228. After the energy storage capacitor 228 fails, the charge / discharge management unit 226 can detect the fault and activate diode D1 within approximately 100ms. During these 100ms, the discharge current flows through resistor R1; due to the short time, the generated heat is low and will not damage the components of the storage device 200. For example, the charge / discharge management unit 226 periodically measures the voltage across resistor R1 to identify whether the energy storage capacitor 228 is faulty, with a detection period of, for example, 100ms. Again, as an example, the difference between the voltage at the second terminal 340 and the reference voltage generates an interrupt signal provided to the charge / discharge management unit 226, which can process the interrupt and detect the energy storage capacitor 228 fault within 100ms.

[0079] Figure 3B A block diagram of an energy storage capacitor according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0080] Optionally or further, this application has a plurality of energy storage capacitors 228, and the plurality of energy storage capacitors 228 are connected in parallel between the second terminal 340 of the charge-discharge control circuit 224 and ground.

[0081] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating the energy storage capacitor charging and discharging management process according to an embodiment of this application is provided.

[0082] When the storage device is installed in the host computer, or when the host computer is powered on and begins operation, the host computer supplies power to the storage device, and the storage device powers on accordingly (410). In response to power-on, the storage device's charge / discharge management unit 226 (also see FIG. 3) begins operation using the power supplied by the host computer. The charge / discharge management unit 226 ensures a charging path for the energy storage capacitor 228 (e.g., ...). Figure 2The boost circuit 222 and the charge / discharge control circuit 224 in Figure 3 are turned off, and the state of the energy storage capacitor 228, which is in an uncharged state, is detected as normal or abnormal (420). For example, when the charging path to the energy storage capacitor 228 is turned off, the charge / discharge management unit 226 measures the current in the charging path or measures the voltage across the current-limiting resistor R1 in the charging path to identify whether the energy storage capacitor 228 is short-circuited or broken down. If, for example, the voltage across the current-limiting resistor R1 is less than a specified threshold, the state of the energy storage capacitor 228 is identified as normal; otherwise, the state of the energy storage capacitor 228 is identified as abnormal.

[0083] In the event of an abnormal state of the energy storage capacitor 228, the charge / discharge management unit 226 ceases charging the energy storage capacitor 228 to protect the storage device. If the energy storage capacitor 228 is in a normal state, the charge / discharge management unit 226 activates the boost circuit 222 to charge the energy storage capacitor 228 (430) until the energy storage capacitor 228 is fully charged (440). Afterward, the charge / discharge management unit 226 deactivates the boost circuit 222 and keeps the energy storage capacitor 228 fully charged. Optionally, the charge / discharge management unit 226 may intermittently activate / deactivate the boost circuit 222 to replenish any leakage charge from the energy storage capacitor 228. The charge / discharge management unit 226 also powers on other components of the storage device to enable its operation.

[0084] During operation of the storage device, the charge / discharge management unit 226 periodically checks the status (450) of the energy storage capacitor 228 to address potential sudden failures (such as breakdown or short circuit) in the energy storage capacitor 228. For example, the charge / discharge management unit 226 measures the current in the charging path or the voltage across the current-limiting resistor R1 in the charging path to identify whether the energy storage capacitor 228 is short-circuited or broken down. After a short circuit or leakage occurs in the energy storage capacitor 228, a leakage current flows through the charging path. Therefore, if the voltage across the current-limiting resistor R1 is less than a specified threshold, the energy storage capacitor 228 is identified as being in a normal state; otherwise, the energy storage capacitor 228 is identified as being in an abnormal state.

[0085] If the charge / discharge management unit 226 identifies that the fully charged energy storage capacitor 228 is normal (460), it returns to step 450 to proceed to the next round of checking the status of the energy storage capacitor 228. If the energy storage capacitor 228 is identified as abnormal (460), the charge / discharge management unit 226 shuts down the boost circuit 222, opens the discharge path of the energy storage capacitor 228, and sends an alarm to the control unit 204 of the storage device (470). For example, the charge / discharge management unit 226 opens the power supply path from the energy storage capacitor 228 to itself and supplies the energy of the energy storage capacitor 228 to the various components of the storage device. The charge / discharge management unit 226 also identifies that the discharge of the energy storage capacitor 228 is complete to confirm that the energy storage capacitor 228 and the storage device are safe (and will not cause failure or danger due to a short circuit in the energy storage capacitor 228).

[0086] Optionally, in response to the storage device being shut down, powered off, or experiencing an abnormal power failure, the charge / discharge management unit 226 also discharges the energy storage capacitor 228. For example, the charge / discharge management unit 226 opens a power supply path from the energy storage capacitor 228 to itself and supplies the energy stored in the energy storage capacitor 228 to various components of the storage device. Although preferred embodiments of this application have been described, those skilled in the art, once they understand the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of this application. Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various alterations and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of this application fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A power management unit for a storage device, comprising: Boost circuit, charge / discharge control circuit, charge / discharge management unit, and energy storage capacitor; The boost circuit is connected to the first terminal of the charge and discharge control circuit, the second terminal of the charge and discharge control circuit is connected to the first terminal of the energy storage capacitor, the second terminal of the energy storage capacitor is grounded, and the boost circuit is also used to connect to the interface of the storage device. The charge / discharge management unit is connected to the control terminal of the boost circuit. By controlling the opening and closing of the boost circuit, it controls the charging of the energy storage capacitor. In addition, the charge / discharge management unit is also connected to the first terminal and the second terminal of the charge / discharge control circuit to detect whether the energy storage capacitor is abnormal. The charge / discharge management unit is also used to connect to the control components of the storage device, and can supply power to various components of the storage device via the control components according to the abnormality of the energy storage capacitor; In response to power-on, the charge / discharge management unit ensures that the boost circuit is shut down and detects whether the energy storage capacitor is abnormal through the charge / discharge control circuit; In response to power-on, the charge and discharge management unit detects an induced current in the charge and discharge control circuit. If the induced current weakens or disappears after a predetermined period of time, the energy storage capacitor is normal; if the induced current persists, the energy storage capacitor is abnormal. If the energy storage capacitor is normal, the charge and discharge management unit will activate the boost circuit to charge the energy storage capacitor via the charge and discharge control circuit. If the energy storage capacitor malfunctions, the boost circuit will remain shut down.

2. The power management unit of the storage device according to claim 1, wherein, The boost circuit is used to connect to the power input pin of the interface of the storage device.

3. The power management unit of the storage device according to claim 1, wherein, If the charge / discharge management unit detects no induced current in the charge / discharge control circuit after the predetermined power-on time, or if the induced current is within the predetermined range, then the energy storage capacitor is normal. If the charge / discharge management unit detects an induced current in the charge / discharge control circuit after a predetermined power-on time, or if the induced current exceeds a predetermined value, the energy storage capacitor is considered abnormal.

4. The power management unit of the storage device according to claim 1 or 3, wherein, The operating voltage of the power input pin of the storage device interface generates an induced voltage in the charge / discharge control circuit, and the induced voltage charges the energy storage capacitor to form an induced current.

5. The power management unit of the storage device according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, If the energy storage capacitor is abnormal, the charge / discharge management unit supplies power to the control unit and informs the control unit that the energy storage capacitor is abnormal; Alternatively, the charge / discharge management unit may not supply power to the control components, but instead supply power to the indicator lights to show any abnormalities in the energy storage capacitor.

6. The power management unit of the storage device according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, In response to the completion of charging of the energy storage capacitor, the charge and discharge management unit supplies power to the various components of the storage device; Alternatively, during the charging of the energy storage capacitor, the charge / discharge management unit supplies power to the various components of the storage device.

7. The power management unit of the storage device according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, After the energy storage capacitor is fully charged, the charge and discharge management unit monitors the current supplied to the energy storage capacitor through the charge and discharge control circuit to detect whether the energy storage capacitor has malfunctioned. If the energy storage capacitor malfunctions after it has been fully charged, the charge / discharge management unit will discharge the energy storage capacitor through the charge / discharge control circuit.

8. The power management unit of the storage device according to claim 7, wherein, If the current supplied to the energy storage capacitor through the charge / discharge control circuit exceeds a predetermined value, the energy storage capacitor will malfunction.

9. The power management unit of the storage device according to claim 8, wherein, The preset value is 20mA.

10. The power management unit of the storage device according to claim 7, wherein, The first terminal of the charge / discharge control circuit and the second terminal of the charge / discharge control circuit include a detection resistor connected in series with the first pole of the energy storage capacitor. The current supplied to the energy storage capacitor by the charge / discharge control circuit is monitored by measuring the voltage across the detection resistor between the first terminal of the charge / discharge control circuit and the second terminal of the charge / discharge control circuit.

11. The power management unit of the storage device according to claim 7, wherein, The first terminal of the charge / discharge control circuit and the second terminal of the charge / discharge control circuit include a detection resistor connected in series with the first pole of the energy storage capacitor. The charge / discharge management unit detects the magnitude and direction of the current in the detection resistor by measuring the voltage across the first terminal and the second terminal, so as to identify whether the energy storage capacitor has failed.

12. The power management unit of the storage device according to claim 7, wherein, Periodically, in response to the indication of the control unit, in response to a sudden drop in voltage between the plates of the energy storage capacitor, and / or in response to the voltage between the plates of the energy storage capacitor being less than a predetermined value, the charge-discharge management unit monitors the current supplied to the energy storage capacitor through the charge-discharge control circuit.

13. The power management unit of the storage device according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, In response to an abnormal power outage, a power-off, or a shutdown command, the charge / discharge management unit discharges the energy storage capacitor via the charge / discharge control circuit.

14. The power management unit of the storage device according to claim 7, wherein, When discharging the energy storage capacitor, the system detects the complete discharge of the energy storage capacitor by detecting the voltage of the energy storage capacitor or the current in the charge / discharge control circuit.

15. The power management unit of the storage device according to claim 7, wherein, In response to the discharge of energy from the energy storage capacitor, the charge / discharge management unit notifies the control unit when the discharge of energy from the energy storage capacitor is complete, so that the control unit shuts down the storage device.

16. The power management unit of the storage device according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The charge / discharge control circuit includes a current-limiting resistor connected between the first and second terminals.

17. The power management unit of the storage device according to claim 16, wherein, The current-limiting resistor has a resistance of 100 ohms.

18. The power management unit of the storage device according to claim 10, wherein, The charge / discharge control circuit also includes: a diode / MOSFET switch connected in parallel with a current-limiting resistor between the first terminal and the second terminal, wherein the cathode of the diode / MOSFET switch is connected to the first terminal and the anode of the diode / MOSFET switch is connected to the second terminal; The charge / discharge management unit is also connected to the control terminal of the diode / MOSFET switch to control the opening and closing of the diode / MOSFET switch.

19. The power management unit of the storage device according to claim 18, wherein, During the period when the energy storage capacitor is fully charged and retains its charge, the charge / discharge management unit ensures that the diode / MOSFET switches are turned off.

20. The power management unit of the storage device according to claim 19, wherein, In response to a fault in the energy storage capacitor, a portion of the energy storage capacitor's charge is discharged to ground through a current-limiting resistor. Furthermore, in response to the detection of a fault in the energy storage capacitor, the charge / discharge management unit activates the diode / MOSFET switch; In response to the turn-on of the diode / MOSFET switch, the charge in the energy storage capacitor is discharged by the diode / MOSFET switch instead of the current-limiting resistor, and then supplies power to the various components of the storage device via the charge / discharge management unit and control unit.

21. The power management unit of the storage device according to claim 20, wherein, Within 100ms after the energy storage capacitor fails, the charge / discharge management unit detects the failure.

22. The power management unit of the storage device according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, After the energy storage capacitor is fully charged, during normal operation of the storage device, the charge and discharge management unit discharges the energy storage capacitor through the charge and discharge control circuit to identify the energy storage capacitor's charge level.

23. The power management unit of the storage device according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, During periods when the storage device will not lose power or does not require high-reliability data storage capabilities, the charge / discharge management circuit discharges the energy storage capacitor through the charge / discharge control circuit.

24. A storage device, comprising: The storage device interface, control unit, NVM, DRAM, and power management unit of the storage device according to any one of claims 1-23; The boost circuit of the power management unit of the storage device is connected to the interface of the storage device; The power management unit of the storage device is connected to the control unit of the storage device to supply power to the control unit, NVM, and DRAM.

25. A method for controlling the charging and discharging of an energy storage capacitor in a storage device, comprising the following steps: In response to power-on, ensure that the charging path for charging the energy storage capacitor is closed, and detect whether the energy storage capacitor is abnormal; An induced current is detected in the charging path, and if the induced current weakens or disappears after a predetermined period of time, the energy storage capacitor is normal. If the induced current persists, the energy storage capacitor is abnormal; If the energy storage capacitor is normal, the charging path will be opened to charge the energy storage capacitor; if the energy storage capacitor is abnormal, the charging path will remain closed. After the energy storage capacitor is fully charged, during the operation of the storage device, check whether the energy storage capacitor has malfunctioned. If the energy storage capacitor does not fail, proceed to the next round of testing to determine if the energy storage capacitor has failed. If the energy storage capacitor malfunctions, the charging path will be shut off, and the discharge path of the energy storage capacitor will be opened to discharge the energy storage capacitor.

26. The charging and discharging control method for the energy storage capacitor of the storage device according to claim 25, wherein, If no induced current is detected in the charging path after the predetermined time of power-on, or if the induced current is within the predetermined range, the energy storage capacitor is normal. If an induced current is detected in the charging path after a predetermined time since power-on, or if the induced current exceeds a predetermined value, the energy storage capacitor is considered abnormal.

27. The charging and discharging control method for the energy storage capacitor of the storage device according to claim 25, wherein, If no voltage is detected across the current-limiting resistor in the charging path, or if the voltage is less than the specified threshold, then the energy storage capacitor is normal. If the voltage across the current-limiting resistor in the charging path is greater than the specified threshold, the energy storage capacitor is abnormal.

28. The method for controlling the charging and discharging of the energy storage capacitor of the storage device according to any one of claims 25-27, wherein, In response to the completion of charging of the energy storage capacitor, power is supplied to various components of the storage device; Alternatively, power can be supplied to the various components of the storage device while the energy storage capacitor is charging.

29. The method for controlling the charging and discharging of the energy storage capacitor of the storage device according to any one of claims 25-27, wherein, If the current in the charging path exceeds a predetermined value, the energy storage capacitor will fail.

30. The charging and discharging control method for the energy storage capacitor of the storage device according to claim 29, wherein, The preset value is 20mA.

31. The method for controlling the charging and discharging of the energy storage capacitor of the storage device according to any one of claims 25-27, wherein, If the voltage across the current-limiting resistor in the charging path is greater than a predetermined value, the energy storage capacitor will fail.

32. The method for controlling the charging and discharging of the energy storage capacitor of the storage device according to any one of claims 25-27, wherein, In response to the discharge of the energy storage capacitor, the control unit is notified of the discharge of the energy storage capacitor so that the control unit can shut down the storage device.

33. The method for controlling the charging and discharging of the energy storage capacitor of the storage device according to any one of claims 25-27, wherein, In response to an abnormal power outage, a power-off event, or a shutdown command, the energy storage capacitor's discharge path is opened, allowing the energy storage capacitor to discharge.

Images