Storage Controller Adaptive Impedance for Signal Eye Height
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor memory devices, such as SSDs, face challenges in maintaining optimal transmission signal reliability as operating temperatures increase, leading to reduced eye height and potential link failures.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a storage device with a storage controller that includes a transmission driver. This driver is configured to adaptively adjust its impedance based on the operating temperature, using a temperature sensor, temperature monitor, and transmission impedance controller to increase the eye height of the transmission signal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the transmission driver uses a fixed impedance value, then the device complexity is reduced, but the link reliability deteriorates at higher operating temperatures due to reduced eye height
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission driver impedance is changed from a fixed value to a dynamically adjustable parameter that responds to temperature changes. The impedance adjustment mechanism includes a temperature sensor that detects operating temperature and feeds this information to an impedance control unit, which then modifies the transmission driver impedance accordingly to maintain optimal eye height and link reliability across different temperature conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the impedance value of the transmission driver based on temperature conditions. The system transitions from a static impedance design to a dynamic one where the impedance parameter is adjusted according to temperature sensor feedback, ensuring optimal signal transmission characteristics are maintained across the operating temperature range.
2Reliability
If the impedance of the transmission driver is decreased to increase eye height at high temperatures, then the link reliability is maintained, but the transmission signal amplitude control becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback control by using a temperature sensor to continuously monitor the operating temperature and feed this information back to the impedance control unit. Based on this feedback, the control unit adjusts the transmission driver impedance to maintain optimal eye height, thereby automatically compensating for temperature-induced signal degradation without requiring complex manual control.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage device includes at least one nonvolatile memory device and a storage controller. The storage controller controls the at least one nonvolatile memory device based on a request from an external host. The storage controller adaptively adjusts an impedance of a transmission driver based on a change of an operating temperature of the storage device. The transmission driver transmits a transmission signal to the external host through a link. The storage device may increase an eye height of the transmission signal transmitted to the host through the link by decreasing impedance of the transmission driver as the operating temperature increases. Therefore, the storage device according to example embodiments may maintain reliability of the link even though the operating temperature of the storage device increases.