Defect Management for Storage Capacity Error Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data storage devices face reduced storage capacity due to defective and unusable areas on the disk surface, leading to storage capacity errors during formatting, which can result in prolonged testing times and reduced efficiency in identifying defective disk drives.
Innovation Solution
A defect management process is implemented by a controller that performs write and read scans, followed by a defect margining process to identify and isolate defective segments, determining the defective space amount and transmitting error signals when it exceeds a threshold, allowing for continued testing and formatting without capacity errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the disk drive is connected to the test system for a long time to discover storage capacity errors during the formatting process, then the storage capacity error can be detected, but the amount of disk drives tested by the test system is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing a defect scan and calculating the defective space amount before the formatting process begins. The controller scans the disk surface to identify defective areas, calculates the total defective space, compares it against available space requirements, and determines potential storage capacity errors in advance. This preliminary assessment allows the system to predict formatting outcomes without actually performing the full formatting operation, thereby detecting storage capacity errors while preserving test system productivity.
2Reliability
If the amount of space used by defective and unusable areas exceeds a predetermined threshold, then a storage capacity error is identified, but the testing process is prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the defect detection and space calculation functionality from the formatting process itself. The controller separately performs a defect scan to identify unusable areas, calculates the defective space amount independently, and compares it against thresholds before initiating formatting. By extracting this assessment step from the main formatting workflow, the system can quickly identify storage capacity errors without prolonging the overall testing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller performs preliminary defect scanning and space calculation before the formatting process. By determining the defective space amount and comparing it to available space requirements in advance, the system can identify potential storage capacity errors before they impact the formatting operation, thereby reducing overall testing time while maintaining reliable error detection.
Data Source
AI summary
A data storage device comprising a non-volatile media including a plurality of segments, and configured to store a defect list, and a controller configured to perform a defect management process. The defect management process can include testing the plurality of segments for defects, detecting a defect in a first segment of the plurality of segments, updating the defect list to include the first segment, determining a defective space amount based on the segments in the updated defect list, determining whether the defective space amount indicates a storage capacity error, transmitting a storage capacity error signal to the test system when the defective space amount indicates the storage capacity error, and when the defective space amount does not indicate the storage capacity error, continuing to test the plurality of segments for defects until the defective space amount indicates the storage capacity error or all the segments have been tested.