A method for expanding a storage chip, a chip and an access device

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of solid-state storage, in particular to a method for expanding the capacity of a storage chip, a chip and an access device, which comprises the following steps: S1, detecting the running parameters of the current state of the storage chip; S2, judging the use state of the storage chip according to the detected running parameters; S3, expanding the reserved storage area according to the judgment result; when the value of the running parameters is greater than a preset value in the judgment result, the reserved storage area is set to a read-write state, so that the storage capacity of the storage chip is expanded. In summary, the storage capacity of the storage chip can be expanded according to the use state after long-time use, more available capacity is provided for the user, the service life of the electronic device is prolonged, and the use experience of the user is optimized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of solid-state storage technology, and in particular to a method, chip, and access device for expanding the capacity of a storage chip. Background Technology

[0002] Solid-state drives (SSDs) are hard drives made using arrays of solid-state electronic storage chips. Typically, an SSD consists of a control unit and storage units (FLASH chips, DRAM chips, etc.).

[0003] Flash-based solid-state drives (SSDs) are the main type of SSDs. Their internal structure is very simple. The main body of an SSD is actually a PCB board, and the most basic components on this PCB board are the controller chip, the cache chip (some low-end SSDs do not have a cache chip), and the storage chip used to store data.

[0004] As the solid-state drive (SSD) market matures, most electronic products used by the public now employ SSDs for data storage. However, due to the inherent electronic characteristics of storage chips, sector write times increase after prolonged write operations, resulting in a decrease in write speed.

[0005] Meanwhile, as users continue to use their devices, the capacity of their installed solid-state drives (SSDs) will gradually fill up with data. Since SSD capacity cannot be easily increased, the only solution is to replace the entire device. However, as electronic devices are used for extended periods, their performance gradually declines, and users are unwilling to upgrade the storage devices individually for older devices. They can only continue using them reluctantly, waiting for the opportunity to upgrade their entire electronic equipment.

[0006] For example, Chinese patent document CN203038670U discloses an expandable memory, including a carrier and a storage unit. The carrier is provided with a number of slots, and the storage capacity of the entire memory can be increased by inserting a number of memory cards into the slots.

[0007] For example, Chinese patent document CN108647167A discloses a modular high-capacity storage system, including a main memory and multiple secondary memories. Both the main memory and secondary memories are equipped with PCI slots, PCI connectors, and PCI-to-IDE cards. An embedded CPU is also installed inside the main memory. Through the interaction of the provided PCI slots, PCI connectors, and PCI-to-IDE cards, the main memory can connect to multiple secondary memories, thereby increasing the overall storage capacity.

[0008] The aforementioned technical solutions have emerged in the existing technology, which can increase the capacity of the entire storage system. However, the entire storage system is relatively complex and not convenient for use in small devices. Furthermore, it is not a capacity expansion of a standalone solid-state storage device; therefore, improvements are necessary. Summary of the Invention

[0009] To overcome the shortcomings mentioned above, the present invention aims to provide a technical solution that can solve the above problems.

[0010] This invention provides a method for expanding the capacity of a memory chip, comprising the following steps:

[0011] S1, detects the operating parameters of the current state of the memory chip;

[0012] S2, determine the usage status of the memory chip based on the detected operating parameters;

[0013] S3, based on its judgment result, performs an expansion operation on the reserved storage area;

[0014] In the judgment result, when the value of the running parameter is greater than the preset value, the reserved storage area is set to a read-write state, thereby expanding the storage capacity of the storage chip.

[0015] As a further aspect of the present invention: before step S1, an aging test is performed on the memory chip, and the write time of each sector when writing data is recorded during the aging test. Sectors with write times greater than a first threshold are set as reserved storage areas, and the reserved storage areas are set to an unreadable and unwriteable state.

[0016] As a further aspect of the present invention: the operating parameters are set to the write capacity, and a preset value is set according to the sales capacity of the memory chip.

[0017] As a further aspect of the present invention: the operating parameter is set to sector write time. In step S1, when the memory chip performs data storage, its sector write time is detected, and the average value of all sector write times within a certain time period or within a certain data storage range is calculated.

[0018] In step S2, it is determined whether the average value is greater than a preset threshold;

[0019] In step S3, if the judgment result is yes, that is, the average value is greater than the preset threshold, the reserved storage area is set to a read-write state, thereby expanding the storage capacity of the storage chip.

[0020] As a further aspect of the present invention, the method for calculating the first threshold includes the following steps: sorting the write time of each sector's written data recorded during the aging test from smallest to largest to form an increasing sequence M; selecting a portion of values ​​from the increasing sequence M to form a first sequence M1; and averaging all values ​​in the first sequence M1 to obtain the value of the first threshold.

[0021] As a further aspect of the present invention: the method for filtering a subset of values ​​includes the following steps: calculating the ratio K between the sales capacity sc of the memory chip and the actual capacity ac. Using the ratio K as a parameter, the increasing sequence M is evaluated to obtain the first sequence M1.

[0022] As a further aspect of the present invention: the value selection method specifically includes the following steps: multiply the maximum index of the increasing sequence M by the ratio K, and take the integer part to obtain a number a. Among all the indices of the increasing sequence M, take the values ​​of the indices corresponding to two adjacent numbers of the number a, and combine them to form the first sequence M1.

[0023] As a further aspect of the present invention: the value selection method specifically includes the following steps: multiply the maximum index of the increasing sequence M by the ratio K, and round down to obtain a number a. Among all the indices of the increasing sequence M, select the values ​​corresponding to the n indices that are close to the number a, and combine them to form the first sequence M1.

[0024] The present invention also provides a memory chip having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the above-described method for expanding the capacity of the memory chip.

[0025] The present invention also provides an access device, comprising: a memory chip for storing data; a transmission interface for connecting the access device to an external host system and transmitting data; and a controller electrically connected to the memory chip and the transmission interface, and performing the above-described method for expanding the capacity of the memory chip.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0027] 1. By intervening in the aging test process during the manufacturing of memory chips, and utilizing the testing and recording of sector write times during this process, sectors with write times exceeding a first threshold can be individually set to an unreadable / writable state. This improves the overall write speed of the memory chip at the time of manufacture. After prolonged use, most of the memory chip's capacity is used, and the write speed decreases. Therefore, reserved storage areas can be reactivated to expand the capacity of older memory chips, allowing users to use more capacity, saving the cost of replacing individual storage devices, and extending the overall lifespan of electronic devices.

[0028] 2. It can also calculate the first threshold based on the sales capacity and actual capacity of the storage chip, thereby optimizing the timing of expansion of the reserved storage area and improving the user experience.

[0029] Therefore, with the above improvements, the present invention can provide a method, chip, and access device for expanding the capacity of a memory chip, so that the memory chip can still expand its storage capacity according to its usage status after a long period of use, giving users more available capacity, extending the overall lifespan of electronic devices, and optimizing the user experience.

[0030] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention 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 of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0032] Figure 1 This is an overall flowchart of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the present invention with the operating parameters set to sector write time;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the calculation process of the first threshold of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the filtering process for selecting a subset of values ​​according to the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the method for taking values ​​from an increasing sequence M according to the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of another method for taking values ​​from an increasing sequence M according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0039] Please see Figures 1 to 6 In this embodiment of the invention, a method for expanding the capacity of a memory chip includes the following steps:

[0040] S1, detects the operating parameters of the current state of the memory chip;

[0041] S2, determine the usage status of the memory chip based on the detected operating parameters;

[0042] S3, based on its judgment result, performs an expansion operation on the reserved storage area;

[0043] The operating parameters include at least one of the following parameters: the parameters of the storage chip include write capacity or sector write time; in the judgment result, when the value of the operating parameter is greater than the preset value, the reserved storage area is set to a read-write state, thereby expanding the storage capacity of the storage chip.

[0044] Specifically, in the expansion operation, setting the reserved storage area as a read-write sector can be achieved using various strategies in existing technologies. For example, the reserved storage area can be directly made visible to the user, creating free space in the disk management program, allowing the user to reuse the free space. Alternatively, the free space can be repartitioned as a new usable disk, or a partitioning tool or the system's built-in disk management program can be used to adjust the capacity of the existing partition, extending the free space into the existing partition and thus increasing the usable space of the existing partition.

[0045] Of course, in another embodiment, the reserved storage area can remain invisible to the user, and only be made available to the storage chip's management program. This allows the management program to replace bad sectors or slow-writing sectors in the existing usage space with sectors from the reserved storage area, effectively expanding the storage chip's capacity and preventing the reduction of usable SSD capacity due to excessive bad sectors after long-term use. It also avoids the problem of a gradual increase in slow-writing sectors over extended periods, leading to a decrease in the overall write speed of the storage chip.

[0046] like Figure 3 As shown, in another embodiment, preferably, before step S1, an aging test is performed on the memory chip, and the write time of each sector when writing data is recorded during the aging test. Sectors with write times greater than a first threshold are set as reserved storage areas, and the reserved storage areas are set to an unreadable and unwriteable state.

[0047] Specifically, when users purchase new solid-state drives (SSDs) and other storage devices, they usually want the devices to have fast access speeds. However, due to the characteristics of the electronic structure of flash memory chips, the write speeds of the internal sectors are not the same. Some sectors have relatively low write speeds, that is, longer sector write times. Therefore, during the aging test of storage chips, sectors with longer write times can be marked separately to make them unreadable and writable, thereby avoiding a reduction in the overall write speed of the SSD.

[0048] It is understandable that after prolonged use, the write speed of sectors within the memory chip will decrease, meaning the sector write time will become longer. However, since users have already used it for a considerable period, they can accept this reduction in write speed. On the contrary, with increasing amounts of data accumulated over time, users increasingly desire storage devices with greater capacity for efficient data storage. During the research, development, production, sales, and investigation of memory chips, the applicant identified the aforementioned user pain points and therefore optimized and improved upon them, developing the technical solution described in this invention to address these user pain points.

[0049] Secondly, the aging test process for storage chips is a necessary part of the factory testing performed before the solid-state drive (SSD) leaves the factory. In other words, SSDs inherently require aging tests before shipment. This invention utilizes this aging test process to record the write time of sector data during the aging test and optimize the sector distribution of the storage chip based on the corresponding write times. Specifically, during the card opening process before the SSD leaves the factory, the corresponding reserved storage area is set to be unreadable and writable, and also invisible to the user.

[0050] Furthermore, solid-state drive (SSD) aging tests are a crucial means of ensuring product quality. These tests primarily assess the durability and reliability of SSDs under various complex operating conditions by simulating prolonged continuous operation, temperature variations, electromagnetic interference, and vibration. This invention mainly intervenes in the continuous read / write test process during aging testing, enabling it to record the write time of all sectors throughout the entire SSD during the full-disk read / write test, and performs corresponding operations based on the write times of all sectors.

[0051] In another embodiment, preferably, a reserved block address table is set in the management program of the memory chip, and the physical address information of the reserved storage area is saved in the reserved block address table, so that the memory chip does not perform read and write operations on the sectors in the reserved block address table.

[0052] Specifically, in SSD management programs, a Flash Translation Layer (FTL) is typically required. This is a crucial component in SSD firmware, responsible for translating the Logical Block Address (LBA) sent by the host into the Physical Block Address (PBA) on the storage chip, and managing various flash memory characteristics to ensure the SSD's efficient and stable operation. Therefore, a reserved block address table can be set up within the existing Flash Translation Layer to prevent the storage chip from performing read / write operations on the corresponding sectors in the reserved block address table.

[0053] In another embodiment, preferably, when the operating parameter is the write capacity, a preset value is set according to the sales capacity of the storage chip. Specifically, preferably, 80% of the sales capacity can be set as the write capacity. For example, for a solid-state drive with a sales capacity of 500G, the preset value can be set to 400G. When the user's write capacity to the storage chip reaches 400G, the storage chip can be expanded.

[0054] The "sales capacity" refers to the storage capacity visible to the user when the memory chip is sold. The "actual capacity," however, refers to the storage capacity installed during actual production, including both the user-visible storage capacity and the system capacity (which may be hidden from the user) for installation and management programs, as well as reserved capacity. Essentially, the sales capacity will be less than the actual capacity; for example, a solid-state drive with a sales capacity of 500GB might actually have an actual capacity of 530GB or 560GB.

[0055] like Figure 2 As shown, in another embodiment, preferably, when the operating parameter is the sector write time,

[0056] In step S1, the sector write time when storing data in the current state of the memory chip is detected, and the average value of all sector write times within a certain time period or within a certain data storage range is calculated.

[0057] In step S2, it is determined whether the average value is greater than a preset threshold;

[0058] In step S3, based on the judgment result, the reserved storage area is expanded.

[0059] In step S3, if the determination result is yes, that is, the average value is greater than a preset threshold, then the reserved storage area is set as a readable and writable sector, thereby expanding the storage capacity of the storage chip. The preset threshold is equal to the first threshold.

[0060] Specifically, sector write time affects the write speed of the memory chip and is the performance parameter most easily perceived by users. Especially when data is written to the problematic sector during user operation, the operating system may even freeze. Therefore, it is preferable to set the running parameter to sector write time.

[0061] Secondly, since a single sector of the storage chip may fail, performing a capacity expansion operation at this time is clearly not the optimal approach. Therefore, to optimize the user experience, it is preferable to calculate the average write time of all sectors within a certain time period, or within a range of written data. Only when the average value exceeds a preset threshold should the corresponding capacity expansion operation be performed.

[0062] Furthermore, the specified time can be set to a relatively long period, such as 100 hours of continuous operation, while the specified data storage volume can be set to 2-10GB of data written, or one-tenth of the sales capacity. Using a longer period or setting a larger data write volume can more accurately reflect the current usage status of the storage chip. Only when the overall performance deteriorates significantly should the storage chip be upgraded, thereby optimizing the user experience.

[0063] like Figure 3 As shown, in another embodiment, preferably, the method for calculating the first threshold includes the following steps:

[0064] During the aging test, the write time of each sector's written data is sorted from smallest to largest to form an increasing sequence M. A portion of the values ​​in the increasing sequence M are selected to form the first sequence M1. The average value of all the values ​​in the first sequence M1 is then calculated to obtain the value of the first threshold.

[0065] Specifically, during the aging test, the data write times of all recorded sectors can be sorted from smallest to largest, placing the sector write times at the end of the sequence. Then, a subset of sector write times corresponding to specific numbers are selected from the ascending sequence and calculated to form a first threshold value. This allows for a more scientific allocation of the reserved storage area, designating sectors with relatively slower write speeds as reserved storage areas.

[0066] like Figure 4 As shown, in another embodiment, preferably, the filtering method for selecting a subset of values ​​includes the following steps:

[0067] Calculate the ratio K between the sold capacity sc of the memory chip and the actual capacity ac. Using the ratio K as a parameter, the increasing sequence M is evaluated to obtain the first sequence M1.

[0068] Specifically, to rationally allocate the reserved storage area, calculations can be performed based on the sales capacity and actual capacity of the storage chips, thereby optimizing the value of the reserved storage area. Furthermore, to further enhance its scientific rigor, it is preferable to set a first sequence and use multiple values ​​within the first sequence to calculate the average, thus further improving its rationality.

[0069] like Figure 5 As shown, in another embodiment, preferably, the method of taking the value specifically includes the following steps: multiplying the maximum index of the increasing sequence M with the ratio K, and taking the integer part to obtain a number a; taking the values ​​corresponding to two adjacent numbers of the number a from all the indices of the increasing sequence M, and combining them to form the first sequence M1.

[0070] Specifically, for the composition of the first sequence, we can simply select two adjacent numbers of the number 'a', thereby optimizing the first threshold to some extent.

[0071] like Figure 6 As shown, in another embodiment, preferably, the method of obtaining the value specifically includes the following steps: multiplying the maximum index of the increasing sequence M by the ratio K, and rounding down to obtain a number a; then, among all the indices of the increasing sequence M, selecting the values ​​corresponding to the n indices closest to the number a, and combining them to form a first sequence M1. Here, n is an even number greater than 2.

[0072] Specifically, to further optimize the first threshold, more values ​​can be selected from the increasing sequence to form the first sequence. Since the indices close to the number 'a' tend to appear in pairs, 'n' can be set to an even number greater than 2. For example, when 'a' is 1024, the closest indices are 1023 and 1025, the next closest are 1022 and 1026, and the next closest are 1021 and 1027, and so on. Multiple pairs of close indices can be selected, thus containing more values ​​in the first sequence. This allows for averaging more values ​​during the calculation of the first threshold, resulting in a more optimized threshold setting.

[0073] In another embodiment, preferably, the index that is adjacent to and less than the number a is taken as index b. In the increasing sequence M, the average of all values ​​from index 1 to index b is calculated to obtain the average value c. The preset threshold is greater than the average value c and less than the first threshold.

[0074] Specifically, the preset threshold can be simply set to the first threshold. When the write time of other sectors within the sales capacity also reaches the first threshold, it indicates that the overall speed of the storage chip has dropped significantly. Therefore, the corresponding capacity expansion operation can be performed without affecting the current write speed of the storage chip.

[0075] Secondly, since sectors exceeding the first threshold are already designated as reserved storage areas during the aging test, the preferred preset threshold is one lower than the first threshold. This allows for capacity expansion before the write speed of the storage chip drops below the first threshold, further optimizing the user experience and enabling capacity expansion without reducing the write speed of the storage chip.

[0076] To avoid setting the preset threshold too low, which could lead to a significant drop in the write speed of the storage chip when it still has a lot of capacity or its write speed is relatively fast, thus reducing the user experience, the preset threshold can be set to be greater than the average value c.

[0077] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be included within the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for expanding a storage chip, characterized by, Includes the following steps: S1, detects the operating parameters of the current state of the memory chip; S2, determine the usage status of the memory chip based on the detected operating parameters; S3, based on its judgment result, performs an expansion operation on the reserved storage area; In the judgment result, when the value of the running parameter is greater than the preset value, the reserved storage area is set to a read-write state, thereby expanding the storage capacity of the storage chip. Before step S1, an aging test is performed on the memory chip, and the write time of each sector when writing data is recorded during the aging test. Sectors with write times greater than the first threshold are set as reserved storage areas, and the reserved storage areas are set to an unreadable and unwriteable state.

2. The method for expanding the capacity of a memory chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, Set the operating parameters to the write capacity and set the preset values ​​according to the sales capacity of the memory chip.

3. The method for expanding the capacity of a memory chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, Set the running parameters to sector write time. In step S1, when the memory chip stores data, it detects the sector write time and calculates the average value of all sector write times within a certain time period or within a certain data storage range. In step S2, it is determined whether the average value is greater than a preset threshold; In step S3, if the judgment result is yes, that is, the average value is greater than the preset threshold, the reserved storage area is set to a read-write state, thereby expanding the storage capacity of the storage chip.

4. The method for expanding the capacity of a memory chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method for calculating the first threshold includes the following steps: During the aging test, the write time of each sector's written data is sorted from smallest to largest to form an increasing sequence M. A portion of the values ​​in the increasing sequence M are selected to form the first sequence M1. The average value of all the values ​​in the first sequence M1 is then calculated to obtain the value of the first threshold.

5. A method for expanding the capacity of a memory chip according to claim 4, characterized in that, The filtering method for selecting a subset of values ​​includes the following steps: Calculate the ratio K between the sold capacity sc of the memory chip and the actual capacity ac. Using the ratio K as a parameter, the increasing sequence M is evaluated to obtain the first sequence M1.

6. A method for expanding the capacity of a memory chip according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method for obtaining the value specifically includes the following steps: multiply the maximum index of the increasing sequence M by the ratio K, and round down to obtain a number a; among all the indices of the increasing sequence M, take the values ​​of the indices corresponding to two adjacent numbers of the number a, and combine them to form the first sequence M1.

7. A method for expanding the capacity of a memory chip according to claim 5, characterized in that, The method for determining the value specifically includes the following steps: multiply the maximum index of the increasing sequence M by the ratio K, and round down to obtain a number a; among all the indices of the increasing sequence M, select the values ​​corresponding to the n indices that are closest to the number a, and combine them to form the first sequence M1.

8. A memory chip, characterized in that, It stores a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements a method for expanding the capacity of a memory chip according to any one of claims 1-7.

9. An access device, characterized in that, include: A memory chip, the memory chip being used to store data; The transmission interface is used to connect the access device to the external host system and transmit data; The controller is electrically connected to the memory chip and the transmission interface respectively, and performs a method for expanding the capacity of the memory chip according to any one of claims 1-7.

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