SSD Power Loss Protection via Inter-Drive Energy Sharing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solid state drives (SSDs) with power loss protection (PLP) functions require significant backup power storage, which occupies valuable space and increases costs due to the need for large capacitors to handle maximum energy requirements for data protection during power outages.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a power storage device with a reduced capacitance PLP capacitor and an energy sharing mechanism between SSDs, allowing for efficient energy distribution and reduced individual capacitor size, enabling effective PLP without the need for large capacitors by sharing energy across multiple SSDs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large capacitor is provided in each SSD to ensure sufficient backup power for data protection, then data integrity during power outages is improved, but mounting area and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple SSDs are connected through a bus to share a common power storage device. Instead of each SSD having its own large capacitor, the power storage device is shared among multiple SSDs, allowing them to collectively provide backup power for data protection while reducing individual mounting area requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The power storage device serves multiple functions: it provides backup power to multiple different SSDs simultaneously, and can be dynamically allocated based on which SSDs need power loss protection at any given time, making the power storage resource universally applicable across the system
2Reliability
If a large capacitor is provided in each SSD to ensure sufficient backup power, then power loss protection capability is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple SSDs share a common power storage device through a bus connection, consolidating what would otherwise be duplicate large capacitors in each SSD into a single shared resource, thereby reducing total component count and manufacturing cost while maintaining power loss protection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system recovers unused power storage capacity by allowing multiple SSDs to share the same power storage device. When one SSD is not using power loss protection, its allocated power capacity becomes available to other SSDs, maximizing utilization and reducing the total power storage capacity needed
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution reduces the mounting area and cost of PLP capacitors in SSDs while ensuring data integrity during power outages by effectively sharing and utilizing energy across multiple SSDs, even when maximum energy is not required by all devices simultaneously.
Implementation Method 1
a power storage device (PLP capacitor 15) connected to the power supply circuit 14. The power storage device 15 charges electrical energy from the power supply circuit 14
Data Source
AI summary
A memory system includes a nonvolatile memory, a controller configured to control the nonvolatile memory, a power supply circuit that is connected to the controller and configured to generate a power supply voltage for the nonvolatile memory and the controller from a voltage supplied from at least one external power supply, and a power storage device that is connected to the power supply circuit and configured to charge to a first energy from a charging voltage supplied by the power supply circuit, and an energy sharing pin that is connected to the power supply circuit and the power storage device, and is connectable to an external power storage device in an external memory system.