JP2752219B2 - Method of detecting state of data storage device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a status display method for using, for example, a rotary head type digital audio tape recorder (R-DAT) as a storage device of an information device. .

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a conventional R-DAT, a recording area of information for recording a digitized signal is formed at the center of a trace of each track of a tape that is helically scanned by a rotary head, and the recording of this information is performed. A subcode area is formed on both sides of the area, that is, at the trace start end and the trace end end of each track together with the tracking area (ATF area). In this tracking area, a servo signal for tracking control is recorded, and in the subcode area, a start ID indicating the head of the music and the like are recorded together with music number and time information.

However, recently, it has been considered that such a DAT is used as a storage device of an information device.For example, since a DAT using a 120-minute tape can achieve a storage capacity of about 1 GB, it has been used as a conventional storage device. It is now possible to provide a low-cost, large-capacity, small-space storage device compared to the conventional MT device or hard disk device.

(C) Problems to be Solved by the Invention Specifically, when such a DAT is used as a storage device of an information device, data communication between a host computer (initiator) and the DAT device (target) is performed by, for example, SCSI (Smaller).
l using a Computer System Interface), the bus is occupied during communication between the initiator and the target. The transmitted data is recorded on a medium, and the reproduced data is transmitted via a bus. These periods (hours) are not constant due to conditions such as the track format and the defect area (defective area) existing on the medium.

In such devices having different communication periods and recording / reproducing periods, it has been desired that the information on the period of data communication and data recording / reproducing is notified to the host device via a bus by a built-in microcomputer.

In addition, a device that determines whether or not the reliability of data that changes depending on the environment in which the R-DAT device is used and reports the data is desired.

(D) Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a recording medium having a data area and a catalog area for recording a list of programs and data recorded in the data area. A data storage device formed by the above, when the device performs recording and reproduction of data by a host device or the like connected to the bus,
The number of correctable data errors that occur is monitored by a built-in microcomputer, and is notified to the host device when a predetermined value set by the host device or the like is exceeded, and is not set by the host device or the like. The microcomputer reads out environmental functions such as ambient temperature and humidity of the data storage device from a group of sensors and automatically sets the predetermined value, and proposes a state detection method of the data storage device. I do.

(E) Function According to the above means, the operating state information of the apparatus (for example, trouble during communication or the state of deterioration of the medium) can always be obtained in real time, and the reliability of the apparatus can be increased.

(F) Example An example of a system configuration according to this example will be described with reference to FIG. That is, (1) in FIG.
The mechanism has substantially the same configuration as that of the DAT. The mechanism (1) includes a rotary cylinder, a capstan motor, a reel motor, and the like. (2) a recording / reproducing amplifier for transmitting / receiving a recording / reproducing signal between two recording / reproducing rotary heads (A and B heads) arranged at 180 ° apart from each other on a rotary cylinder, and (3) one frame An intra-frame signal processing circuit for adding first and second check codes (C ₁ , C ₂ ) and interleaving at the time of recording and performing error detection and correction by the check code and deinterleaving at the time of reproduction;
(4) is an in-group signal processing circuit for adding a tertiary check code at the time of recording in a group unit and performing error detection and correction by the check code at the time of reproduction.

(5) is a cylinder servo circuit that drives and controls the rotating cylinder, (6) is a reel servo circuit that drives and controls the reel motor, (7) is a capstan servo circuit that drives and controls the capstan motor, and (8) is a reproduction time. An ATF circuit that extracts a signal in the ATF region from the output of the recording / reproducing amplifier (2) through the intra-frame signal processing circuit (3) and generates a tracking error signal. This error signal is supplied to a capstan servo circuit (7). This is used for controlling the rotation speed of the capstan motor. (9) is a sub-code processing circuit for extracting a signal of a sub-code area from an output of the recording / reproducing amplifier (2) through a signal processing circuit (3) in a frame during reproduction, and (10) is various operation key input and sub-code processing. The in-group signal processing circuit (4), the in-frame signal processing circuit (3), the cylinder servo circuit (5), the reel servo circuit (6), and the cap, based on the output from the circuit (9) or the output from a command circuit described later. A system control circuit for controlling the stun servo circuit (7), and a sensor (11) for indicating whether a magnetic tape is inserted in the DAT mechanism (1) and for detecting the temperature, humidity, etc. in the R-DAT device. Group, (12) a display device incorporated in a front panel of a data storage device described later, (13) a bus for performing data communication between a host computer (initiator) and an R-DAT device (target). (14) a bus controller for controlling the bus (13), (15) the intraframe signal processing circuit (3) and the in-group signal processing circuit (4), the system control circuit (1
0), a microcomputer that controls the display device (12) and the bus controller (14) in response to a signal from the sensor group (11).

In the above configuration, the first detection method of the present invention
This will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a front panel. Here, when a predetermined medium is inserted through the insertion slot (22), the host device (16) writes the tape usage status information (for example, the number of tape passes, the number of reformattings, etc.) read out by the device at the time of initialization. The number of recoverable errors can be set according to the importance of data read and recorded from the device.

Or if not set from the host device (16),
This device uses the tape usage status information on the medium read out during the initial setting operation and information on the environment obtained by the sensor group (11), for example, sense information such as temperature, humidity, degree of dew condensation, vibration, etc. as a photosensitive function. The microcomputer (15) can calculate the error and automatically set the error tolerance (recoverable error occurrence count).

If the set error tolerance is exceeded, it indicates that the medium has deteriorated significantly and the microcomputer (1
5) notifies the host device (16). When the medium is not a predetermined medium, for example, when an audio medium is mounted, the recording / reproducing amplifier (2) and the in-frame signal processing are used for the factors that cannot be detected by the sensor group (11) or the sensor group (11) in FIG. Detected by the circuit (3) and notified to the microcomputer (15), the microcomputer (15)
Is an LED (23) that controls the display device (12) and indicates a READY state
Flashes. Alternatively, similarly, the information is transferred to the post device (16) and notified. Next, when performing data communication with a host computer (initiator) in which the medium is properly mounted, communication control is performed by the microcomputer (15). During this period, the LED (24) indicating BUSY of the display device (12) is lit in orange, and after the communication is completed, the data accumulated in the system control circuit unit is used to process the in-group signal processing circuit (4) and the in-frame signal processing circuit ( 3) Recording is performed on the medium via the head of the DAT mechanism (1) through the recording / reproducing amplifier (2). The microcomputer (15) outputs a signal for turning on the LED (24) indicating BUSY of the display device (12) in green while controlling the recording and reproduction of data. Similarly, the microcomputer (15) turns on an LED (25) indicating ERROR when a hardware error is detected by the sensor group (11). This is the host device (1
The notification may be sent to 6) or may be displayed on the display device (12).

(G) Effects of the Invention According to the detection method of the data storage device of the present invention, the deterioration state of the medium, the data communication period, the data recording / reproducing period, and the environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity are monitored and notified in real time. This is extremely useful because it is possible to take measures before a fatal failure occurs in the device or data, which can contribute to improving the reliability of the device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a display device incorporated in a front panel of a data storage device. FIG. 2 is an overall system block including a sensor for controlling the display device and a microcomputer. (21) ... front panel of the device, (22) ... medium insertion slot, (23) ... LED showing READY, (24) ... LED showing BUSY, (25) ... showing ERROR LED, (26)
…… LED to display POWER, (1) …… DAT mechanism, (11)
... Sensor group, (2) ... Recording / reproducing amplifier, (3) ...
... intra-frame signal processing circuit, (4) ... in-group signal processing circuit, (15) ... microcomputer, (7)
... Capstan servo, (6) ... Reel servo,
(5) Cylinder servo, (8) ATF circuit,
(9) Sub-code processing circuit, (10) System control circuit, (12) Display device, (14) Bus controller, (13) Bus, (16) Host device.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A data recording device comprising a data area and a list area for recording a list of programs and data recorded in the data area on a recording medium, wherein the device is connected to a bus. When performing data recording / reproducing with a set host device or the like, the number of correctable data errors that occur is monitored by a built-in microcomputer, and when the number exceeds a predetermined value set by the host device or the like, the host device is used. The microcomputer reads environmental functions such as ambient temperature and humidity of the data storage device from the sensor group when the setting is not set by the host device or the like, and automatically sets the predetermined value. A method for detecting a state of a data storage device.