CN214541581U

CN214541581U - Data storage device

Info

Publication number: CN214541581U
Application number: CN202120432079.0U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 杨世纬; 赵国逸; 林士弘; 廖郑雄
Original assignee: Apacer Technology Inc
Current assignee: Apacer Technology Inc
Priority date: 2021-02-26
Filing date: 2021-02-26
Publication date: 2021-10-29
Anticipated expiration: 2031-02-26

Abstract

A data storage device includes a memory module, a Hall element, and a controller. The storage module is used for storing data. The Hall element is used for sensing the magnetic force change so as to output a control signal. The controller is coupled to the storage module and the Hall element and is used for controlling the data storage device to execute corresponding operation according to the control signal.

Description

Data storage device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a data storage device, and more particularly, to a data storage device in which execution of a corresponding operation is triggered by a hall element.

Background

With the progress of technology, storage devices, such as hard disks, solid state disks, etc., with large capacity, fast access speed and stable operation become indispensable electronic products in daily life. In response to the trend of lighter, thinner, shorter and smaller memory devices, the related components and functions are required to be more compact for the convenience of being disposed on the circuit board which is gradually shrinking. The efforts of storage device engineers and designers have been directed to optimizing the manner in which the functions of storage devices are triggered, and to reducing the stock requirements of the variety of storage devices.

At present, the hardware triggering mode of the functionality of the storage device is mostly to start the function through a Jumper (Jumper) or a hand-operated switch. However, the selectivity of the arrangement position of the jumper or the hand-operated switch is not high, and the jumper or the hand-operated switch is mostly arranged at the edge of the circuit board and occupies the wiring area of the circuit board. In addition, the casing of the storage device needs to be perforated to expose the jumper or the hand-operated switch, so that the user can conveniently set or switch the jumper or the hand-operated switch.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

An embodiment of the present invention provides a data storage device comprising a memory module, a hall element, and a controller. The storage module is used for storing data. The Hall element is used for sensing the magnetic force change so as to output a control signal. The controller is coupled to the storage module and the Hall element and is used for controlling the data storage device to execute corresponding operation according to the control signal.

In one embodiment, the corresponding operation includes write protecting the memory module.

In one embodiment, the memory module includes a plurality of non-volatile memories, and the corresponding operation includes erasing data from at least one of the plurality of non-volatile memories.

In one embodiment, the corresponding operation includes adjusting at least one setting of the data storage device.

In one embodiment, the controller adjusts a plurality of setting values of the data storage device according to the control signal.

In one embodiment, the controller includes a universal input/output interface coupled to the Hall element for receiving the control signal.

In one embodiment, the data storage device further comprises a housing, wherein the housing defines a setting slot for accommodating a magnetic substance, and the hall element is disposed in the housing adjacent to the setting slot.

In one embodiment, the data storage device further includes a housing and an electromagnet disposed within the housing adjacent to the hall element.

In one embodiment, the electromagnet is intermittently and repeatedly powered, so that the control signal output by the hall element is a bit string signal, and the bit string signal comprises a plurality of bits.

In one embodiment, the controller includes a decoding unit for decoding the bit string signal, and the controller controls the data storage device to perform the corresponding operation according to a result of the decoding unit decoding the bit string signal.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of a data storage device and a magnet adjacent thereto according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of a data storage device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The drawings illustrate the following:

10. 20 data storage device

110 memory module

120 hall element

130A, 130B controller

132 general input/output interface

134 decoding unit

140 transmission interface

150 electromagnet

200 magnet

Sc control signal

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 1, fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of a data storage device 10 and a magnet 200 adjacent thereto according to an embodiment of the present invention. The data storage device 10 may be a hard disk or a Solid State Drive (SSD), and includes a storage module 110 for storing data. When the data storage device 10 is a hard disk, the storage module 110 may comprise a plurality of magnetic disks; when the data storage device 10 is a solid-state disk, the storage module 110 may include a plurality of nonvolatile memories (e.g., flash memories). The data storage device 10 further includes a Hall element (Hall element)120 and a controller 130A. The hall element 120 is used for sensing a magnetic force variation (e.g., sensing a magnetic force variation caused by the movement of the magnet 200) to output a control signal Sc. The controller 130A is coupled to the memory module 110 and the hall element 120, and is configured to control the data storage device 10 to perform a corresponding operation according to the control signal Sc. The corresponding operations may include, for example, performing write protection on the storage module 110 to prevent data recorded in the storage module 110 from being deleted or erased; as another example, the corresponding operations described above may include adjusting one or more settings of the data storage device 10; for another example, the memory module 110 includes a plurality of non-volatile memories, and the corresponding operation may include erasing data from at least one of the non-volatile memories.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the controller 130A includes a General-purpose input/output (GPIO) interface 132 coupled to the hall element 120 for receiving the control signal Sc. In one embodiment of the present invention, the data storage device 10 further comprises a transmission interface 140 for coupling to a computer system. The controller 130A may forward the data read from the memory module 110 to the computer system through the transmission interface 140, and may receive data and/or instructions from the computer system through the transmission interface 140, so as to control the data access of the memory module 110 according to the data and/or instructions sent by the computer system. The transmission interface 140 may be, but is not limited to, a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) interface, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, or a PCI-E interface.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the data storage device 10 further comprises a housing, the housing is formed with a setting groove for accommodating a magnetic substance (e.g., the magnet 200), and the hall element 120 is disposed in the housing of the data storage device 10 adjacent to the setting groove. In an embodiment of the present invention, the magnet 200 may have a pen-shaped shape, and the setting groove may be a pen groove corresponding to the shape of the magnet 200.

Referring to fig. 2, fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of a data storage device 20 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Data storage device 20 is similar to data storage device 10 of FIG. 1, except that data storage device 20 further includes an electromagnet 150, and controller 130A of data storage device 10 is replaced with controller 130B in data storage device 20. The electromagnet 150 is disposed within the housing of the data storage device 20 adjacent the hall element 120. The electromagnet 150 can be repeatedly powered intermittently, so that the control signal Sc output by the hall element 120 is a bit string signal including a plurality of bits. Besides, the controller 130B includes a decoding unit 134 for decoding the bit string signal in addition to the general purpose input/output interface 132, and the controller 130B can control the data storage device 20 to perform the corresponding operations (e.g., data deleting, data erasing, write protecting, adjusting one or more setting values … of the data storage device 20, etc.) according to the result of the decoding unit 134 decoding the bit string signal.

The data storage device of the present invention includes a hall element, and a user can trigger the data storage device to perform a corresponding operation in a manner that changes the magnetic field around the hall element. Therefore, the user can conveniently trigger the function of the storage device. Therefore, the jumpers (jumpers) are not worried about losing or difficult to pull. In addition, the shell of the data storage device can be manufactured in a single mode, so that the trouble of hole breaking of the shell is reduced, and the cost of shell material preparation is reduced. In addition, the hall element can be packaged in a compact package (e.g., sot23 package), which effectively frees up more circuit board area for wiring.

Claims

1. A data storage device, comprising:

a storage module for storing data;

a Hall element for sensing a change in magnetic force to output a control signal; and

and a controller, coupled to the memory module and the Hall element, for controlling the data storage device to perform a corresponding operation according to the control signal.

2. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the corresponding operation comprises write protecting the memory module.

3. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the memory module comprises a plurality of non-volatile memories, and the corresponding operation comprises erasing data from at least one of the plurality of non-volatile memories.

4. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the corresponding operation comprises adjusting at least one setting of the data storage device.

5. The data storage device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the controller adjusts the plurality of settings of the data storage device according to the control signal.

6. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a universal input/output interface coupled to the Hall element for receiving the control signal.

7. The data storage device of claim 1 further comprising a housing, wherein the housing defines an installation slot for receiving a magnetic material, and wherein the hall element is disposed in the housing adjacent the installation slot.

8. The data storage device of claim 1 further comprising a housing and an electromagnet disposed in the housing adjacent to the hall element.

9. The data storage device of claim 8 wherein the electromagnet is repeatedly energized intermittently such that the control signal output by the hall element is a bit string signal comprising a plurality of bits.

10. The data storage device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the controller comprises a decoding unit for decoding the bitstream signal, and the controller controls the data storage device to perform the corresponding operation according to a result of the decoding unit decoding the bitstream signal.