Configurable SSD Card with Removable Drives
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional solid-state drives (SSDs) have fixed storage capacities and form factors, limiting customer flexibility and cost-effectiveness, as well as lacking capabilities like RAID and foreign configuration importing.
Innovation Solution
A configurable SSD card with a printed circuit board that combines a fixed capacity SSD with removable SSDs via adapters, supporting multiple form factors and protocols, allowing customers to adjust storage capacity and add capabilities like RAID through a single PCIe interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional SSDs use fixed storage capacity and form factor, then manufacturing and design are simplified, but customer flexibility and cost-effectiveness are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The SSD system is segmented into a fixed capacity SSD and removable SSDs that can be independently attached or detached. This segmentation allows customers to configure the total storage capacity by selecting different combinations of fixed and removable drives, thereby improving flexibility without requiring complete redesign of the entire storage system.
Solution Approach 2:
The SSD card is designed with universal compatibility to support multiple form factors and protocols through a single PCIe interface. The system can universally accommodate different SSD types (fixed and removable) and protocols (NVMe, SATA), enabling one device to perform multiple functions and serve different customer needs.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple physical slots are used for different SSDs, then storage capacity and capabilities can be increased, but device complexity and space occupation increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple SSDs (fixed and removable) are merged into a single SSD card that occupies only one physical PCIe slot in the host system. The SSD card integrates multiple storage devices and capabilities (including RAID functionality) into one unified device, thereby increasing storage capacity without requiring multiple physical slots.
3Ease of manufacture
If fixed capacity SSDs are used, then drive design is simplified, but cost-effectiveness for capacity expansion is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The SSD system transitions from a static fixed capacity design to a dynamic configurable capacity design. Customers can adjust the total storage capacity by attaching or removing SSDs based on their needs, while the base fixed capacity SSD remains simple in design. This dynamic approach allows capacity adjustment without complicating the core drive design.
4Adaptability or versatility
If removable SSDs are added for capability expansion, then features like RAID are added, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The SSD card acts as an intermediary device between the host system and multiple SSDs. It manages the complexity of coordinating multiple drives, handling protocols, and implementing features like RAID, thereby providing capability expansion while shielding the host system from the underlying complexity through a unified interface.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus which includes a first solid state drive (SSD) located on an SSD card having a fixed capacity and a first form factor. The apparatus can further include an adapter located on the SSD card to accommodate a second SSD. The second SSD has a second form factor that is different than the first form factor and is removeable from the SSD card. The apparatus can further include a controller located on the SSD card and configured to access the first SSD and the second SSD.