Solid-state drive devices and firmware recovery equipment with no-return-to-factory firmware recovery function

Abstract

A solid-state drive (SSD) device and equipment with on-site firmware recovery without factory return is disclosed. Pre-wiring leads to controllable contacts for the boot mode pin and power control signal. A remote host generates a forced read-only boot signal and a power switch signal to force the SSD into read-only mode for firmware recovery. When the control firmware image file stored in flash memory is corrupted, the power switch signal puts the SSD into a power-off state. The forced read-only boot signal is transmitted to the boot mode pin at the read-only mode potential. When the SSD returns to power, the SSD controller executes boot codes based on the read-only mode potential to maintain read-only mode. This achieves on-site recovery without requiring factory desoldering, overcoming the signal inaccessibility issues caused by integrated packaging.

Claims

1. A solid-state drive (SSD) device with firmware recovery functionality that eliminates the need for factory return, suitable for electrical connection to a remote host. The remote host stores a backup firmware image file and generates a forced read-only boot signal and a power switch signal. The power switch signal switches the SSD device between a power-off state and a power-on state. The SSD device includes: a boot mode pin for receiving the forced read-only boot signal; a flash memory for storing a control firmware image file; and an SSD controller electrically connected to the boot mode pin and the flash memory. When the control firmware image file is corrupted, the remote host sets the forced read-only boot signal to a read-only mode potential and transmits it to the boot mode pin. The SSD controller executes a boot code to maintain the device in a read-only mode based on the triggering of the read-only mode potential.

2. A solid-state drive device with on-site firmware recovery function without factory return as described in claim 1, wherein, The remote host transmits the backup firmware image file to the solid-state drive controller via a high-speed transmission interface. The solid-state drive controller includes a read-only memory and a controller circuit electrically connected between the read-only memory, the flash memory, and the high-speed transmission interface. The read-only memory is used to store the boot code. When in read-only code mode, the controller circuit is used to execute the boot code and also to write the backup firmware image file from the high-speed transmission interface into the flash memory.

3. A solid-state drive device with on-site firmware recovery function without factory return as described in claim 1, wherein, This flash memory is a NAND flash memory.

4. A solid-state drive device with on-site firmware recovery function without factory return as described in claim 1, wherein, The read-only mode potential is a ground potential.

5. The solid-state drive device with on-site firmware recovery function without factory return as described in claim 1 further includes a power controller electrically connected between the remote host, the solid-state drive controller and the flash memory, and receiving an input power and a power switch signal, and determining whether to transmit the input power to the solid-state drive controller and the flash memory according to the control of the power switch signal.

6. A firmware recovery device that eliminates the need for factory return, comprising: a remote host for storing a backup firmware image file and generating a forced read-only boot signal and a power switch signal; and a solid-state drive (SSD) device electrically connected to the remote host to receive the power switch signal, including a boot mode pin for receiving the forced read-only boot signal, an SSD controller electrically connected to the boot mode pin, and flash memory electrically connected to the SSD controller, the flash memory storing a control firmware image file; when the control firmware image file is corrupted, the remote host sets the power switch signal to cause the SSD device to operate in a power-off state, the remote host sets the forced read-only boot signal to be transmitted to the boot mode pin at a read-only mode potential, and the remote host sets the power switch signal to cause the SSD device to switch from the power-off state to a power-on state. When the solid-state drive returns to the power-on state, the solid-state drive controller executes a boot code to maintain a read-only program code mode based on the triggering of the read-only mode potential.

7. The on-site firmware rescue equipment that does not require returning to the factory as described in claim 6, wherein, The remote host transmits the backup firmware image file to the solid-state drive controller via a high-speed transmission interface. The solid-state drive controller writes the backup firmware image file into the flash memory to replace the damaged control firmware image file as an updated control firmware image file.

8. The on-site firmware rescue equipment that does not require return to the factory as described in claim 7, wherein, The solid-state drive controller includes a read-only memory and a controller circuit electrically connected between the read-only memory, the flash memory, and the high-speed transfer interface. The read-only memory is used to store the boot code. When the read-only code is in read-only mode, the controller circuit is used to execute the boot code and also to write the backup firmware image file from the high-speed transfer interface into the flash memory.

9. The on-site firmware rescue equipment that does not require returning to the factory as described in claim 6, wherein, This flash memory is a NAND flash memory.

10. The firmware recovery device without factory return as described in claim 6 further includes a local host electrically connected to the remote host for transmitting an initialization SSD utility software to the remote host, the remote host executing the initialization SSD utility software to transmit the backup firmware image file to the SSD controller via a high-speed transmission interface.

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