Default Firmware Memory-Block Error Checking for Stable Booting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Storage devices face instability and reliability issues due to errors in firmware stored in memory blocks, which can prevent normal operation during booting.
Innovation Solution
A storage device system and method that includes a controller to execute an error check on a memory block storing default firmware, transmitting result information to a host, and optionally rewriting or migrating the firmware to ensure reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If firmware is stored in a memory block without error checking, then the storage device can operate with simpler structure and faster access, but the stability and reliability of the firmware decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs error checking on firmware in advance before the firmware is executed. The controller executes an error check command to verify the firmware data in the memory block before loading and running it, ensuring that any errors are detected and handled before they can cause system failures during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary error checking mechanism between the firmware storage and execution processes. The controller acts as an intermediary that verifies firmware integrity through error check commands, preventing direct execution of potentially corrupted firmware and thereby protecting system reliability without requiring fundamental changes to the storage structure.
2Reliability
If error check is performed on firmware memory block, then the reliability of firmware storage increases, but the operation time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies error checking selectively to firmware data rather than performing comprehensive checks on all memory operations. The controller executes error check commands specifically targeted at firmware memory blocks, performing partial checking that is sufficient for reliability purposes without the overhead of exhaustive verification of all data.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller automatically executes error checking on firmware as part of its normal operation management. The system performs self-verification where the controller monitors and checks its own firmware integrity without requiring external intervention, thereby managing the time cost of error checking through automated background operations.
3Measurement precision
If the storage device performs comprehensive error checking on all memory blocks, then the detection precision of errors improves, but the productivity and operation speed decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different quality levels of error checking to different memory blocks based on their importance. Firmware memory blocks receive comprehensive error checking with high detection precision, while other less critical data may use simpler or no error checking, thereby optimizing the balance between error detection capability and overall system productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal error checking mechanism that can be applied to different types of data with appropriate configuration. The same error check command infrastructure serves multiple purposes: verifying firmware integrity, checking data blocks, and supporting various error detection needs, thereby achieving high detection precision across different data types without proportionally increasing complexity for each case.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage device may receive, from a host, a first command instructing the storage device to execute an error check on a first memory block among a plurality of memory blocks. The storage device may transmit result information for the error check to the host. In this case, default firmware to be loaded when a booting operation is executed may be stored in the first memory block.