Storage Interface Timing Adjustment for Signal Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Non-volatile storage devices face issues with interface signal integrity due to poor calibration of timing signals, leading to errors and data loss, especially in high-frequency and large-memory systems, where signal attenuation and reflections cause bottlenecks that reduce device performance.
Innovation Solution
A data storage device with a controller that includes an interface timing adjustment engine, which performs concurrent adjustment processes on both the memory interface and host interface to optimize timing signal phases, ensuring accurate data sampling by positioning the timing signal edges within a target range to avoid signal distortion, thereby improving interface signal integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If impedance matching is performed between host device and storage device, then signal attenuation and reflections are reduced, but device complexity increases due to additional calibration processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the host interface adjustment process and memory interface adjustment process into a single concurrent operation. The host device sends a message indicating initiation of host interface adjustment, and the storage device concurrently performs both host interface timing adjustment and memory interface timing adjustment, merging two separate calibration processes into one unified operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs timing signal phase adjustments as preliminary actions before normal data transfer operations. The host device adjusts the phase of timing signals for the host interface, and the storage device adjusts timing signals for the memory interface in advance, ensuring proper synchronization is established before actual data communication begins.
2Measurement precision
If timing signal phase is adjusted to avoid bit transitions, then data sampling accuracy is improved, but adjustment process time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains continuous useful action by having the storage device perform memory interface adjustment operations concurrently with host interface adjustment. While the host device is adjusting its timing signal phase, the storage device simultaneously adjusts its memory interface timing signals and can perform memory access operations, ensuring that the adjustment process does not create idle time and that productive work continues throughout the calibration period.
3Reliability
If concurrent adjustment processes are performed on both interfaces, then signal integrity is improved under worst-case conditions, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the interface adjustment process into distinct phases and responsibilities. The host device is responsible for adjusting the host interface timing signal phase, while the storage device is responsible for adjusting the memory interface timing signal phase. This segmentation allows each device to independently optimize its interface without interfering with the other, simplifying the overall coordination while still achieving concurrent adjustment of both interfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A data storage device includes a controller and a memory die. The controller includes a host interface and a memory interface. A method includes receiving a message from a host device via the host interface. The message indicates that the host device is to perform a first adjustment process associated with the host interface. The method further includes performing a second adjustment process associated with the memory interface in response to receiving the message indicating that the host device is to perform the first adjustment process.