CN117271399A - Solid state disk controller and circuit controller - Google Patents

Abstract

A solid state disk controller is capable of judging whether M supply voltages supplied to a NAND flash memory are correct. The solid state disk controller comprises: a voltage detector for receiving the M supply voltages and generating detection results therefrom, wherein M is a positive integer; the voltage inquiry module is used for outputting an inquiry signal to the NAND flash memory so as to acquire a response signal from the NAND flash memory and generate an inquiry result according to the response signal, wherein the inquiry result indicates M specified supply voltages applicable to the NAND flash memory; and the voltage judging module is used for receiving the detection result and the query result, judging whether the M supply voltages are equal to the M specified supply voltages according to the detection result and the query result, and outputting a judging result.

Description

Solid state disk controller and circuit controller

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a controller capable of detecting whether a supply voltage of a controlled circuit is correct, and more particularly, to a controller capable of detecting whether a supply voltage of a controlled circuit is correct.

Background

The storage device of a Solid State Drive (SSD) is typically a nand flash memory (NAND flash memory). In general, the voltage supply of the nor-type flash memory includes an internal circuit supply Voltage (VCC) and an input/output (IO) interface supply Voltage (VCCQ). With the evolution of semiconductor process, voltage supply of different specification nand flash memories may need to be based on different voltage requirements; if the voltage supply is not the prescribed voltage for the nor-type flash memory, the nor-type flash memory may not function properly or the service life of the nor-type flash memory may be affected. For example, the VCC may be 3.3V or 2.5V, and the VCCQ may be 3.3V, 1.8V or 1.2V; it is expected that future nand flash memories will involve more voltage settings that will cause production trouble to the SSD module manufacturer (SSD module maker), and will also cause the SSD controller manufacturer to manually confirm if the incorrect voltage settings cause the SSD to work abnormally when helping to solve the production problem and find the error.

Disclosure of Invention

One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a solid-state drive (SSD) controller and a circuit controller for automatically determining whether an error voltage setting causes an SSD/controlled circuit to work abnormally.

Embodiments of the SSD controller of the present invention can determine whether the M supply voltages supplied to the NAND flash memory are correct. The SSD controller of this embodiment includes a voltage detector, a voltage query module, and a voltage determination module. The voltage detector is used for receiving the M supply voltages and generating detection results therefrom, wherein M is a positive integer. The voltage inquiry module is used for outputting an inquiry signal to the NAND flash memory so as to acquire a response signal from the NAND flash memory and generate an inquiry result according to the response signal, wherein the inquiry result indicates M specified supply voltages applicable to the NAND flash memory. The voltage judging module is used for receiving the detection result and the query result, judging whether the M supply voltages are equal to the M specified supply voltages according to the detection result and the query result, and outputting a judging result.

Embodiments of the circuit controller of the present invention are capable of determining whether the M supply voltages supplied to the controlled circuit are correct. The circuit controller of the embodiment comprises a voltage detector, a voltage inquiry module and a voltage judgment module. The voltage detector is used for receiving the M supply voltages and generating detection results therefrom, wherein M is a positive integer. The voltage inquiry module is used for outputting inquiry signals to the controlled circuit so as to acquire response signals from the controlled circuit and generate inquiry results according to the response signals, wherein the inquiry results indicate M specified supply voltages applicable to the controlled circuit. The voltage judging module is used for receiving the detection result and the query result, judging whether the M supply voltages are equal to the M specified supply voltages according to the detection result and the query result, and outputting a judging result.

The features, operation and effects of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the controller of the present invention.

Symbol description:

100: controller for controlling a power supply

110: voltage detector

120: voltage inquiry module

130: voltage judging module

RS _DET : detection result

S _REQ : query signal

S _RESP :: response signal

RS _SPEC : query results

RS _FIN : judgment result

Detailed Description

The present specification discloses a controller capable of detecting whether a supply voltage of a controlled circuit, which may be a Solid State Drive (SSD) controller or other kinds of circuit controllers such as an embedded multimedia Card (Embedded Multimedia Card (eMMC)) controller, a universal flash Memory (Universal Flash Storage (UFS)) controller, or a Secure Digital Memory Card (SD) controller, is correct, and the controlled circuit may be a nand-type flash Memory (NAND flash Memory).

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the controller of the present invention. The controller 100 of fig. 1 (e.g., SSD controller) is capable of determining whether M supply voltages supplied to a controlled circuit (e.g., nand-type flash memory) are correct, where M is a positive integer. For example, the M is an integer not less than 2, and the M supply voltages include an internal circuit supply Voltage (VCC) and/or an input/output (IO) interface supply Voltage (VCCQ). The SSD controller 100 includes a voltage detector 110, a voltage query module 120 and a voltage determination module 130, which are described in the following paragraphs.

Please refer to fig. 1. The voltage detector 110 is used for receiving the M supply voltages and generating a detection result RS _DET . For example, the voltage detector 110 includes a conventional/self-developed analog-to-digital converter (not shown) for generating the detection result RS according to the M supply voltages _DET The method comprises the steps of carrying out a first treatment on the surface of the However, the above method is not a limitation of the present invention, and other detectors (e.g., digital/analog voltage (v/v meter) capable of converting voltage signals into digital signals) may be used instead of the analog-to-digital converter. It should be noted that, when M is greater than 1, the voltage detector 110 may sequentially receive and process the M supply voltages, or receive and process the M supply voltages simultaneously in different paths; the detection result RS _DET Comprises M parts which respectively correspond to the M supply voltages; for example, when the M supply voltages are VCC and VCCQ, the detection result RS _DET Comprising a first part RS _DET 1 corresponds to the VCC and includes a second portion RS _DET 2 corresponds to the VCCQ.

Please refer to fig. 1. The voltage query module 120 is configured to output a query signal S _REQ To the nor flash memory, to request the nor flash memory to provide information suitable for the supply voltage of the nor flash memory. Next, the voltage inquiry module 120 obtains a response signal S from the nor flash memory _RESP Based on the response signal S _RESP Generating query results RS _SPEC Wherein the response signal S _RESP Is the inverse flash memory corresponding to the query signal S _REQ The output signal, the query result RS _SPEC M prescribed supply voltages are indicated for the NAND flash memory. Notably, when M is greater than 1, the query result RS _SPEC Comprises M parts corresponding to the M specified supply voltages respectively; for example, when the M suppliesWhen the voltage is VCC and VCCQ, the query result RS _SPEC Comprising a first part RS _SPEC Reference 1 indicates a first regulated supply voltage VCCSPEC and includes a second portion RS _SPEC 2 indicates a second prescribed supply voltage VCCQSPEC, which VCCSPEC and VCCQSPEC are associated with VCC and VCCQ, respectively.

Please refer to fig. 1. The voltage determination module 130 is configured to receive the detection result RS _DET And the query result RS _SPEC Based on the detection result RS _DET And the query result RS _SPEC Judging whether the M supply voltages are equal to the M prescribed supply voltages, thereby outputting a judgment result RS _FIN . For example, when the M supply voltages are different from the M predetermined supply voltages, the voltage determination module 130 outputs the determination result RS _FIN As a manual/automatic adjustment basis for the M prescribed supply voltages. For example, the determination result RS _FIN May be an alarm signal (e.g., a pilot lamp control signal or a speaker control signal) for alerting an operator that the M supply voltages are wrong. It is noted that when M is greater than 1, the judgment result RS _FIN As a single result, or as M parts that are sequentially output; the single result is used to indicate whether the M supply voltages are in error (as a white) as a whole; the M portions correspond to the M supply voltages, respectively, and are used for indicating whether the M supply voltages are individually (i.e., are not in error). For example, when the M supply voltages are VCC and VCCQ, the determination result RS _FIN Comprising a first part RS _FIN 1 indicates whether the VCC is erroneous, and includes a second portion RS _FIN 2 indicates whether the VCCQ is erroneous.

Please refer to fig. 1. In an example of operation of the controller 100, the controller 100 further includes a known/self-developed processor (not shown). The processor executes firmware to implement at least one of the voltage query module 120 and the voltage determination module 130, wherein the content of the firmware can be derived from the descriptions of the voltage query module 120 and the voltage determination module 130 and known firmware writing techniques. The above operation example does not need to use additional hardware to implement the voltage query module 120 and the voltage determination module 130, so that the hardware cost can be saved.

Please refer to fig. 1. In an operation example of the controller 100, at least one of the voltage query module 120 and the voltage determination module 130 is implemented in hardware, wherein the hardware is derived from the above description of the voltage query module 120 and the voltage determination module 130. The above operation example can quickly generate the query result RS _SPEC And/or the judgment result RS _FIN Thereby achieving better overall operation efficiency.

Please refer to fig. 1. In an example of operation of the controller 100, the response signal S _RESP An identification (identification (ID)) comprising the nand-flash memory; the voltage query module 120 queries pre-stored data (e.g. information of the specified supply voltages of the NAND flash memory) according to the identification to obtain the M specified supply voltages corresponding to the NAND flash memory, thereby generating the query result RS _SPEC . In an example of operation of the controller 100, the response signal S _RESP Data including at least one parameter of the nand-type flash memory (e.g., one-time programmable (one-time programmable (OTP)) storage element, information including a prescribed supply voltage of the nand-type flash memory; the voltage query module 120 analyzes the at least one parameter to obtain the M specified supply voltages corresponding to the nand-flash memory, thereby generating the query result.

It is noted that the controller 100 may include other circuits and functions to control the controlled circuit, but this is not within the scope of the present application.

It should be noted that, where possible, one of ordinary skill in the art may selectively implement some or all of the features of any one of the embodiments described above, or may selectively implement some or all of the features of a plurality of the embodiments described above, thereby increasing the flexibility of implementing the invention.

In summary, the controller (e.g., SSD controller) of the present invention can automatically detect whether the supply voltage of the controlled circuit (e.g., NAND flash memory) is correct, so as to quickly confirm whether the controlled circuit cannot operate normally due to incorrect voltage setting.

While the preferred and practical embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed, these embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention, and those skilled in the art may make various changes to the technical features of the present invention according to the explicit or implicit disclosure of the present invention, and all such changes are within the patent protection Fan Wei sought herein, in other words, the scope of the present invention should be determined by the claims of the present application.

Claims (10)

1. A solid state disk controller, wherein the solid state disk is capable of determining whether M supply voltages supplied to a nand-type flash memory are correct, the solid state disk controller comprising:

a voltage detector for receiving the M supply voltages and generating detection results therefrom, wherein M is a positive integer;

a voltage inquiry module for outputting an inquiry signal to the nand-type flash memory to obtain a response signal from the nand-type flash memory, thereby generating an inquiry result according to the response signal, wherein the inquiry result indicates M prescribed supply voltages applicable to the nand-type flash memory; and

and the voltage judging module is used for receiving the detection result and the query result, judging whether the M supply voltages are equal to the M specified supply voltages according to the detection result and the query result, and outputting a judging result.

2. The solid state disk controller of claim 1, wherein M is an integer no less than 2.

3. The solid state disk controller of claim 1, wherein the voltage detector comprises an analog-to-digital converter for generating the detection result according to the M supply voltages.

4. The solid state disk controller of claim 1, wherein the solid state disk controller comprises a processor that executes firmware to implement at least one of the voltage query module and the voltage determination module.

5. The solid state disk controller of claim 1, wherein at least one of the voltage query module and the voltage determination module is implemented in hardware.

6. The solid state disk controller of claim 1, wherein the M supply voltages comprise an internal circuit supply voltage and an input/output interface supply voltage.

7. The solid state disk controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the response signal includes an identification of the nand flash memory, and the voltage query module queries pre-stored data according to the identification to obtain the M specified supply voltages corresponding to the nand flash memory, thereby generating the query result.

8. The solid state disk controller as claimed in claim 1, wherein the response signal includes at least one parameter of the nor flash memory, and the voltage query module parses the at least one parameter to obtain the M specified supply voltages corresponding to the nor flash memory, thereby generating the query result.

9. A circuit controller capable of judging whether M supply voltages supplied to a controlled circuit are correct, comprising:

a voltage detector for receiving the M supply voltages and generating detection results therefrom, wherein M is a positive integer;

a voltage inquiry module for outputting an inquiry signal to the controlled circuit to obtain a response signal from the controlled circuit, thereby generating an inquiry result according to the response signal, wherein the inquiry result indicates M prescribed supply voltages applicable to the controlled circuit; and

and the voltage judging module is used for receiving the detection result and the query result, judging whether the M supply voltages are equal to the M specified supply voltages according to the detection result and the query result, and outputting a judging result.

10. The circuit controller of claim 9, wherein M is an integer not less than 2.