Storage device for automatic adjustment of signals

Abstract

The application relates to an automatic signal storage device, which comprises a signal repeater and a control module. The signal repeater is electrically connected with a host computer and transmits original transmission signals. The control module is electrically connected with the signal repeater to receive the original transmission signals. The control module has signal adjustment conditions. The control module confirms the transmission state of the original transmission signals, and according to the transmission state, the signal adjustment conditions are substituted to confirm the operation of the original transmission signals between the signal repeater and the host computer. When the control module confirms that the operation is abnormal, a control signal is generated to the signal repeater. According to the control signal, the original transmission signals are adjusted to be adjusted transmission signals, so that the signal repeater and the host computer transmit signals according to the adjusted transmission signals.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This case relates to a storage device, and more particularly to a storage device for automatically adjusting signals. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, storage devices have become increasingly faster, requiring corresponding increases in the transmission speed of signals between the host and storage devices to handle larger volumes of data. When transferring large amounts of data between the host and storage devices in a short period, even slight anomalies in the transmission signal can lead to numerous data errors. Traditional methods for mitigating these anomalies include: First, when the host detects an anomaly, it sends a control signal to the storage device to reduce its transmission speed to complete the data transfer. However, this method requires additional firmware control. Second, when the host detects an anomaly, it determines the storage device is faulty and directly stops it. However, this method renders the storage device unusable, preventing further data transmission and resulting in a poor user experience.

[0003] Therefore, developing a storage device that overcomes the above-mentioned shortcomings is an urgent need at present. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a storage device that automatically adjusts signals, which can maintain the quality of transmitted signals and improve the user experience.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, a broader embodiment of this invention provides an automatic signal adjustment storage device electrically connected to a host computer. The storage device includes a signal repeater and a control module. The signal repeater is electrically connected to the host computer, and signal transmission between the signal repeater and the host computer utilizes the original transmission signal. The control module is electrically connected to the signal repeater to receive the original transmission signal. The control module has preset signal adjustment conditions. The control module confirms the transmission status of the original transmission signal and compares it with the signal adjustment conditions based on the transmission status to confirm the operation of the original transmission signal between the signal repeater and the host computer. When the control module confirms that the operation of the original transmission signal between the signal repeater and the host computer is abnormal, it generates a control signal to the signal repeater. The signal repeater adjusts the original transmission signal according to the control signal, using the adjusted transmission signal as the adjustment transmission signal, so that signal transmission between the signal repeater and the host computer is performed according to the adjusted transmission signal. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of the storage device in the first embodiment of this case.

[0007] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of the storage device in the second embodiment of this case.

[0008] The reference numerals in the attached figures are explained as follows:

[0009] 1, 1a: Storage device

[0010] 2: Host

[0011] 3: Signal repeater

[0012] 4: Control Module

[0013] 41: First Port

[0014] 42: Second Port

[0015] 5, 61, 62: Circuit board Detailed Implementation

[0016] Some typical embodiments that embody the features and advantages of this invention will be described in detail in the following description. It should be understood that this invention can have various variations in different forms, all of which do not depart from the scope of this invention, and the descriptions and illustrations therein are for illustrative purposes only, and are not intended to limit this invention.

[0017] Please see Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of the storage device in the first embodiment of this case. As shown in the figure, the storage device 1 in this embodiment can be an internal storage device disposed within an electronic device (not shown), such as a solid-state disk (SSD), a universal flash storage card (UFS), or an embedded multi-media card (eMMC). The storage device 1 can also be an external storage device connected to the electronic device. The storage device 1 is electrically connected to the host 2 to transmit data in the storage device 1 to the host 2. The storage device 1 includes a signal repeater 3 and a control module 4. Signal repeater 3 is electrically connected to host 2, and signal transmission between signal repeater 3 and host 2 is performed using the original transmission signal. The original transmission signal is transmitted between host 2 and signal repeater 3 in a transmission state. The transmission state of the original transmission signal can be, but is not limited to, the signal transmission power of the original transmission signal, the signal-to-noise ratio of the original transmission signal, the type of transmitted data in the original transmission signal, or the reported uncorrectable errors of the transmitted data in the original transmission signal. The signal-to-noise ratio of the original transmission signal is the ratio between the main power of the original transmission signal and the power of the noise. The reported uncorrectable errors of the transmitted data in the original transmission signal are the number of transmission errors of the original transmission signal between host 2 and signal repeater 3 caused by external magnetic or electrical interference. In some embodiments, the control module 4 further includes self-monitoring analysis and reporting technology (SMART) information, which is used to store the transmission status of the original transmission signal. The content of this self-monitoring analysis information is well known to those skilled in the art of solid-state drives, so it will not be described in detail here.

[0018] The control module 4 is electrically connected to the signal repeater 3 and includes a first port 41 and a second port 42. The first port 41 is electrically connected to the signal repeater 3, and the control module 4 receives the original transmission signal transmitted by the signal repeater 3 through the first port 41. The communication protocol of the first port 41 may be, but is not limited to, PCIe, Universal Serial Bus (USB), PCI, Advanced Technology AT Accessories (ATA), Serial AT Hard Drive (SATA), Parallel AT Hard Drive (PATA), Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), Serial Attached SCSI (SAS), Enhanced Small Disk Interface (ESDI), or Integrated Drive Electronic Device (IDE). The control module 4 further includes preset signal adjustment conditions. These conditions can be, but are not limited to, stored in the storage unit (not shown) of the control module 4. The signal adjustment conditions can include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following four conditions: First, whether the signal transmission power of the original transmitted signal is less than a preset transmission power; second, whether the signal-to-noise ratio of the original transmitted signal is greater than or equal to a preset noise ratio; third, whether the data type of the original transmitted signal differs from a preset data type; and fourth, whether the reportable uncorrectable error value of the transmitted data in the original transmitted signal is greater than a preset threshold value. The preset transmission power, preset noise ratio, preset data type, and preset threshold value can all be pre-stored in the storage unit of the control module 4 according to user needs. Of course, the signal adjustment conditions are not limited to the above four types; additional signal adjustment conditions can be added, or the number of signal adjustment conditions can be reduced, according to user needs.

[0019] The control module 4 receives the transmission status of the original transmission signal transmitted by the signal repeater 3, and compares it with the signal adjustment conditions to confirm the operation of the original transmission signal between the signal repeater 3 and the host 2. Taking the first signal adjustment condition mentioned above as an example, the control module 4 checks whether the signal transmission power of the original transmission signal is less than the preset transmission power. If the signal transmission power of the original transmission signal is less than the preset transmission power, the control module 4 generates a control signal when it confirms that the operation of the original transmission signal between the signal repeater 3 and the host 2 is abnormal. This control signal is then transmitted to the signal repeater 3 via the second port 42. The communication protocol of the second port 42 can be, but is not limited to, a system management bus (SMbus) or an integrated bus circuit (I2C). The signal repeater 3 adjusts the original transmission signal to an adjustment transmission signal according to the control signal, so that the signal transmission between the signal repeater 3 and the host 2 is changed to be based on the adjustment transmission signal. If the signal transmission power of the original transmission signal is greater than or equal to the preset transmission power, the control module 4 confirms that the operation between the original transmission signals is normal. Then, the control module 4 does not generate any signal, and the signal repeater 3 and the host 2 maintain signal transmission using the original transmission signal.

[0020] As can be seen from the above, the control module 4 of the storage device 1 in this case confirms the transmission status of the original transmission signal and substitutes the signal adjustment conditions in the control module 4 according to the transmission status, thereby confirming the operation of the original transmission signal between the signal repeater 3 and the host 2. In case of an anomaly, it can generate a control signal to the signal repeater 3 so that the signal repeater 3 and the host 2 can transmit signals with the adjusted transmission signal. Since the signal repeater 3 and the control module 4 are both located in the storage device 1, compared with the traditional method where the host must go through a shorter transmission line and a slower transmission speed to improve the transmission anomaly, the control signal generated by the control module 4 of the storage device 1 in this case can be transmitted to the signal repeater 3 in real time to control the transmission signal in real time. This makes the storage device 1 in this case have better transmission quality and allows the user to use the storage device 1 without interruption, thereby improving the user experience.

[0021] In this embodiment, the storage unit (not shown) of the control module 4 contains not only preset signal adjustment conditions but also a preset adjustment value lookup table, as shown in Table 1 below. The adjustment value lookup table shows the correspondence between each control signal and its corresponding adjustment parameter. The original transmission signal is converted into an adjusted transmission signal based on the control signal and its corresponding adjustment parameter. To further illustrate the conversion of the original transmission signal into an adjusted transmission signal based on the control signal and its corresponding adjustment parameter, taking the aforementioned first signal adjustment condition as an example, when the control module 4 determines that the operation of the original transmission signal is abnormal because the signal transmission power of the original transmission signal is less than the preset transmission power, the control module 4 further generates a corresponding control signal based on the difference between the signal transmission power of the original transmission signal and the preset transmission power, and further generates an adjustment parameter k that is correlated with the control signal. The control signal further converts the original transmission signal into an adjusted transmission signal according to the following formula, namely… Where k is the adjustment parameter, Pi is the original transmission power, and Po is the adjusted transmission power. Taking the original transmission signal frequency as 4GHz and the ratio between the original transmission power and the preset transmission power corresponding to the control signal as 0x32 as an example, Table 1 shows that when the control signal is 0x32 and the original transmission signal frequency is 4GHz, when the adjustment parameter k is 0.4, the power ratio between the adjusted transmission signal and the original transmission signal can be obtained from the above formula as approximately 1.096. The power of the adjusted transmission signal can be adjusted accordingly. That is, if the power intensity of the original transmission signal is 200mV, the power intensity of the adjusted transmission signal can be changed to 200mV*1.096=219.2mV.

[0022] To further explain, if the control module 4 also determines that the transmission state is still abnormal after the adjustment transmission signal has been running for a period of time, the control module 4 can make adjustments back and forth according to the adjustment value reference table. For example, the control signal can be set to 0x34 to strengthen or weaken the signal strength again. The adjustment method has been explained above, so it will not be repeated here.

[0023] Table 1. Adjustment value comparison table within the control module of the storage device.

[0024]

[0025] Of course, in some embodiments, in addition to confirming the operation of the original transmission signal between the signal repeater 3 and the host 2 based on the first signal adjustment condition, other signal adjustment conditions can also be used to confirm the operation of the original transmission signal between the signal repeater 3 and the host 2. For example, taking the aforementioned second signal adjustment condition, namely whether the signal-to-noise ratio of the original transmission signal is greater than or equal to a preset noise ratio, the control module 4 confirms whether the signal-to-noise ratio of the original transmission signal is greater than or equal to the preset noise ratio. If the signal-to-noise ratio of the original transmission signal is greater than or equal to the preset noise ratio, the control module 4 generates a control signal when it confirms that the operation of the original transmission signal between the signal repeater 3 and the host 2 is abnormal. As another example, taking the aforementioned third signal adjustment condition, namely whether the type of the transmitted data of the original transmission signal is different from a preset data type, the control module 4 confirms whether the type of the transmitted data of the original transmission signal is different from the preset data type. If the type of the transmitted data of the original transmission signal is different from the preset data type, the control module 4 generates a control signal when it confirms that the operation of the original transmission signal between the signal repeater 3 and the host 2 is abnormal. For example, taking the fourth signal adjustment condition, namely whether the report of uncorrectable error value of the transmitted data in the original transmitted signal is greater than a preset threshold value, the control module 4 confirms whether the report of uncorrectable error value of the transmitted data in the original transmitted signal is greater than the preset threshold value. If the report of uncorrectable error value of the transmitted data in the original transmitted signal is greater than the preset threshold value, the control module 4 generates a control signal when it confirms that the operation of the original transmitted signal between the signal repeater 3 and the host 2 is abnormal.

[0026] Please refer to the previous document. Figure 1 In this embodiment, the signal repeater 3 and the control module 4 of the storage device 1 are mounted on the same circuit board 5. However, in other embodiments, such as... Figure 2 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of the storage device in the second embodiment of this case. The signal repeater 3 and the control module 4 of the storage device 1a in this embodiment can be respectively set on different circuit boards 61 and 62. Of course, the setting of the signal repeater 3 and the control module 4 is not limited.

[0027] In summary, the control module of the storage device in this invention confirms the transmission status of the original transmission signal and, based on this status, applies signal adjustment conditions within the control module to determine the operation of the original transmission signal between the signal repeater and the host. Furthermore, it can generate a control signal to the signal repeater in case of an anomaly, enabling signal transmission between the repeater and the host using the adjusted transmission signal. Since both the signal repeater and the control module are located within the storage device, compared to the traditional method where the host must traverse a shorter transmission line and at a slower speed to mitigate transmission anomalies, the control signal generated by the control module of this storage device can be transmitted to the signal repeater in real time to control the transmission signal. This results in superior transmission quality for the storage device. It is also worth noting that this invention allows the storage device to independently determine the transmission status of the original transmission signal and automatically generate control signals to adjust the signal strength. This process does not utilize the host's software / hardware resources. Therefore, through this invention, users can use the storage device uninterruptedly, thereby enhancing the user experience.

Claims

1. An automatic signal adjustment storage device electrically connected to a host, the storage device comprising: a signal repeater electrically connected to the host, the signal repeater performing signal transmission with the host by using an original transmission signal; and a control module electrically connected to the signal repeater to receive the original transmission signal, the control module having a preset signal adjustment condition, the control module confirming a transmission state of the original transmission signal and comparing the transmission state with the signal adjustment condition to confirm an operation of the original transmission signal between the signal repeater and the host, and generating a control signal to the signal repeater when the control module confirms that the operation of the original transmission signal between the signal repeater and the host is abnormal, wherein the signal repeater adjusts the original transmission signal to an adjusted transmission signal according to the control signal, so that the signal repeater performs signal transmission with the host according to the adjusted transmission signal.

2. The automatic signal adjustment storage device of claim 1, wherein the signal adjustment condition is whether a signal transmission power of the original transmission signal is less than a preset transmission power, and when the signal transmission power of the original transmission signal is less than the preset transmission power, the control module confirms that the operation of the original transmission signal between the signal repeater and the host is abnormal to generate the control signal, and the signal repeater adjusts the signal transmission power according to the control signal.

3. The automatic signal adjustment storage device of claim 1, wherein the signal adjustment condition is whether a signal-to-noise ratio of the original transmission signal is greater than or equal to a preset noise ratio, and when the signal-to-noise ratio of the original transmission signal is greater than or equal to the preset noise ratio, the control module confirms that the operation of the original transmission signal between the signal repeater and the host is abnormal to generate the control signal, and the signal repeater reduces the signal-to-noise ratio according to the control signal.

4. The automatic signal adjustment storage device of claim 1, wherein the signal adjustment condition is whether a type of transmission data of the original transmission signal is different from a preset data type, and when the type of transmission data of the original transmission signal is different from the preset data type, the control module confirms that the operation of the original transmission signal between the signal repeater and the host is abnormal to generate the control signal, and the signal repeater adjusts the type of transmission data according to the control signal.

5. The automatic signal adjustment storage device of claim 1, wherein the signal adjustment condition is whether a reported uncorrectable error value of transmission data of the original transmission signal is greater than a preset threshold value, and when the reported uncorrectable error value is greater than the preset threshold value, the control module confirms that the operation of the original transmission signal between the signal repeater and the host is abnormal to generate the control signal, and the signal repeater adjusts the type of transmission data according to the control signal.

6. The automatic signal adjustment storage device of claim 1, wherein when the control module confirms that the operation between the signal repeater and the host with the original transmission signal is normal, the signal transmission between the signal repeater and the host is maintained with the original transmission signal.

7. The automatic signal adjustment storage device of claim 1, wherein the control module further comprises a first port and a second port, the first port and the second port are electrically connected to the signal repeater, wherein the control module receives the original transmission signal through the first port, and the control module transmits the control signal to the signal repeater through the second port.

8. The automatic signal adjustment storage device of claim 7, wherein the communication protocol of the first port is PCIe, Universal Serial Bus, PCI, Advanced Technology AT Attachment, Serial AT Hard Disk, Parallel AT Hard Disk, Small Computer System Interface, Serial Attached SCSI, Enhanced Small Disk Interface, or Integrated Drive Electronics.

9. The automatic signal adjustment storage device of claim 7, wherein the communication protocol of the second port is System Management Bus or Integrated Bus Circuit.

10. The automatic signal adjustment storage device of claim 1, wherein the control module comprises a hard disk self status detection information, the hard disk self status detection information is used to store the transmission status of the original transmission signal.

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