Volatile Memory ECC via Controller Multiplexing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional memory technologies require additional pins for error checking and correction, leading to high costs and complexity in implementing data checking and correction capabilities, especially in low-cost data storage devices with volatile memory.
Innovation Solution
A data storage device with a non-volatile memory and a controller that uses volatile memory for temporary storage, generating error checking and correction content using ECC or parity algorithms and writing it in burst lengths without additional pins, enabling data checking and correction in volatile memory.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional pins are added for error checking and correction content transmission, then data checking and correction capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the error checking and correction content transmission function with the existing data bus pins. The controller transmits both data and error checking content through the same data pins used for normal data communication, eliminating the need for separate dedicated pins for ECC content transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The data pins are made multi-functional, serving both as data transmission channels and as channels for error checking content. The controller dynamically multiplexes the data pins to carry either user data or error checking content depending on the operational mode, maximizing pin utilization efficiency.
2Reliability
If additional pins are added for error checking and correction content transmission, then data checking and correction capability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the error checking and correction content transmission function with the existing data bus pins. The controller transmits both data and error checking content through the same data pins used for normal data communication, eliminating the need for separate dedicated pins for ECC content transmission.
3Ease of manufacture
If volatile memory is used for temporary data storage without additional pins, then cost is reduced, but data checking and correction capability must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The controller generates error checking content in advance before writing data to the volatile memory. This preliminary generation of ECC content allows the system to maintain data integrity without requiring special hardware support in the memory chip itself, using software-based correction algorithms instead.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary between the data source and the volatile memory, handling error checking and correction operations. Rather than requiring the memory to have built-in ECC capabilities with additional pins, the controller mediates the data transfer process to ensure integrity.
4Productivity
If data is written in burst length format for temporary storage, then storage efficiency is improved, but error checking and correction complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data transmission into burst length units, where each burst contains both data and corresponding error checking content. This segmentation allows efficient batch processing of data while maintaining manageable error checking complexity through structured organization of ECC content with each data burst.
Data Source
AI summary
Data checking and correction for a volatile memory of a data storage device, the data storage device further including a non-volatile memory and a controller. The controller operates the non-volatile memory in accordance with requests issued from a host. The controller uses the volatile memory for temporary storage of temporary data required for operations of the non-volatile memory. The controller generates error checking and correction content for the temporary data and writes the temporary data and the error checking and correction content into the volatile memory in at least one burst length for temporary storage of the temporary data. In this manner, it is not necessary to manufacture any additional pin on the volatile memory for data checking and correction.