JPH02254671A - Method for driving hard disk device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To extend a hard disk device without increasing the number of signal lines for connection by setting the maximum number of cylinders of the hard disk device beforehand and executing a changeover to the next hard disk device each time the value is counted up. CONSTITUTION:Plural hard disk devices 9 are connected in series, a track formed to the disk is recognized as a series of series numbers, a step signal STEP to designate the number of steps up to the number of tracks after a change from a present value and a direction signal DIR to designate whether to add or subtract the number of steps are outputted from a controller 10, and the hard disk device 9, in which the corresponding track is positioned, is selected out of the hard disk devices 9 connected in series by a CPU 15 based on the signals. Namely, the number of steps to be designated is counted in the adding or subtracting direction to be designated, the hard disk device to contain the number of tracks at the count completion value is selected as a use object out of the devices connected in series, thereby, a disk device selecting signal is made unnecessary, and simultaneously, the number of signal lines can be decreased.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method for driving a plurality of hard disk drives connected to a computer or the like, and particularly to a drive method related to connection and switching technology.

[Conventional technology]

There are various types of storage devices for computers and the like, but there is a hard disk device that is characterized by its large storage capacity, quick access, and small size. This hard disk drive rotates a magnetic disk, which has a magnetic recording layer formed on the surface of a disk made of hard aluminum, at high speed (e.g., 2600 rpm), and places a magnetic head close to the surface of the magnetic disk at a minute distance. For example, 0.2
Recording/reproduction is performed in a state where the distance is 0.5 microns).

When connecting a hard disk drive to a host computer, it is generally done through a controller for controlling a plurality of hard disk drives, but recently, embedded types with built-in controllers have also been used.

FIG. 4 shows the controller 10. 1 is a block diagram showing the connection relationship of a system consisting of a hard disk device 9 and a host computer 11. FIG. As can be seen from the figure, the hard disk device has multiple devices for recording data (for example,
A magnetic head 2 is arranged to be able to access each of the front and back surfaces of the four magnetic disks 1. Each of the magnetic disks 1 rotates integrally using a direct drive motor (hereinafter referred to as DD motor) 3 as a driving source. Further, the number of magnetic heads 2 is twice as many as the number of magnetic disks 1, each of which is integrally attached to a swing arm 4, and a voice coil motor (Voice coil motor) connected to the swing arm 4. Co
11 Motors (hereinafter referred to as VCM) 5 allow movement in the radial direction of the disk 1.

A head amplifier 6 is connected to each of the magnetic heads 2, and recording information from the drive circuit 8 is amplified, as well as servo information from the magnetic head 2. A servo circuit 7 is provided to perform servo control of the VCM 5 based on this servo information, and a drive circuit 8 is further provided to control the rotation of the DD motor 3 and the VCM 5 and to send and receive signals to and from the head amplifier 6. . The drive circuit 8 also includes an input/output interface (
(not shown) is incorporated.

For the hard disk device 9 configured as above,
The controller 10 is connected to an input/output interface using a signal line 12a, and is further connected to a drive circuit 8 of a hard disk device 9.

Further, a host computer 11 is connected to the controller 10 via a signal line 12b.

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing details of the input section of the drive circuit 8.

The signal lines from the controller 10 are four drive select signals DSO to select the number of hard disk drives 9 that can be connected to the controller 10 (four in this embodiment).
In addition to the DS3, it is configured to include a data ki12c for transmitting and receiving data to and from the host computer 11. The drive select signals DSO to DS3 are connected to the date switch 13 and are switched depending on the number of connected devices and the selected light. Further, a three-state buffer 14 is connected to the data line 12c, and the selected drive select signal DS is used as a control signal to open and close the gate, thereby making it possible to send out data.

In the above configuration, for example, when one hard disk device 9 is connected, the DSO of the dip switch 13
switch on and switch off the others. Further, when two hard disk devices are connected, any of the drive select signals DSO to DS3 is also connected in parallel to the second hard disk device 9. Then, the switch corresponding to any one of DS1 to DS3 is selected, and the others are turned off.

Also, when driving two hard disks 'Jt9,
The host computer 11 specifies which hard disk device 9 is to be used, and the controller 10 sends a signal 112a corresponding to this specification. This designation is made based on the number of tracks per hard disk drive 9, and the second hard disk drive 9 is used when data processing exceeds the number of tracks of the first hard disk drive.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in the conventional hard disk device drive method, multiple drive select signals are used as the signal line 12a regardless of the number of hard disk devices used, so even if only one device is connected, all the signal lines It was necessary to connect a number.

Further, the number of connected hard disk devices is determined solely by the number of signal lines, and it is not possible to connect more hard disk devices.

The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances of the prior art, and
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for driving a hard disk device that allows the number of hard disk devices to be increased while reducing the number of signal lines.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a system for controlling a plurality of hard disk drives based on control commands output from a computer managed by a host computer or the like, in which a plurality of hard disk drives are connected in series and a disk A step signal that specifies the number of steps from the current value to the changed number of tracks, and a direction signal that specifies whether the number of steps should be added or subtracted. The controller is configured to select a hard disk drive in which a corresponding track is located from among serially connected hard disk drives based on these signals output from the controller.

[For production]

By means of the above means, the present invention counts a specified number of steps in a specified addition or subtraction direction, and selects a hard disk drive to be used from among serially connected hard disk drives that include the number of tracks corresponding to the count end value. Therefore, unlike the conventional disk device selection signal, there is no need for it, and the number of signal lines can be reduced.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of one embodiment for carrying out the method of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of another embodiment of the present invention. In addition, in Figure 1,
Since the same reference numerals are used for the same parts as in FIGS. 4 and 5 shown as conventional examples, redundant explanation will be omitted below.

In the configuration shown in FIG.
A PU (central processing unit) 15 is used to select the hard disk device 9. The connection between the CPU 15 and the controller 10 is through the direction signal line DIR.
and a step signal line 5TEP and a data line 12b.

Note that 16 is a dip switch, which is provided to perform switching between the plurality of hard disk drives 9 using the same method as the conventional method as well as the present invention that automatically switches between the plurality of hard disk drives 9.

Next, the operation of the hard disk circuit with the above configuration will be explained.

Generally, each hard disk device 9 has 615 cylinders (0 to 614). Therefore, in the present invention, the number of tracks is 2460 (6
15 cylinders x 4 sides 20-245? The hard disk drive (DI~D4 is changed from Di to D2)
- It is arranged to switch from D3 to D4.

For example, in the case where there are four hard disk drives 9, when the first drive is on the 2400th track, a direction signal in the inward direction (direction in which the number of cylinders increases),
Assume that the controller 10 outputs a step signal of 200 and 200. Then, the CPU 15 counts the number of tracks in the direction specified by the direction signal, that is, in the direction of addition.

In other words, by adding the step signal to 2400,
When counting 00 + 61-2461, Dl
to D2. Then, if a gate signal is sent to the 3-state buffer 14 when the remaining 140 is counted, the second
After counting 2460, the hard disk drive 9 is switched to the third hard disk drive 9, and data is transmitted and received from the 1480th count after being switched to the third hard disk drive 9. In other words, in this example, the first hard disk device! The 2400 rack of the third hard disk drive 9 will be switched to the 1480 rack of the third hard disk drive 9.

As described above, whereas conventionally four hard disk drives were switched using four signal lines, in the present invention four hard disk drives can be switched using two signal lines.

Therefore, the connection circuit can be simplified and a cable with fewer signal lines can be used. It also becomes possible to downsize connectors, plugs, and the like.

In the above description, an example is shown in which four hard disk devices 9 are connected, but the present invention is not limited to four and can be any number. That is, in the present invention, the maximum number of cylinders of the hard disk device 9 is set in advance, and each time the value is counted up, the next hard disk device! 9, the configuration is the same as that in which each hard disk device 9 is connected in cascade (series), and theoretically the number of hard disk devices 9 can be increased infinitely as described below.

HD device Number of tracks Di O~2459 D 2 2460~4919D 3
4920-7379D4. 7380~
...Figure 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which the CPU 1
This configuration uses individual circuits in place of 5.

A logical track counter 20 is a counter that counts up or down in a specified direction based on the step signal and the direction signal. 21 is a magnitude comparator that compares the count value with a preset maximum number of tracks and determines whether the switching value has been reached; 22 is a hard disk device 9 that responds to the track value at the end of counting;
physical track counter to specify the head position of the
23 is a VCM 5 for moving the magnetic head 2 to a designated position based on the count value of the physical track counter 22;
This is a head drive circuit that drives the head.

In this configuration, as in the case of FIG. 1, the number of steps given by the step signal is added or subtracted in the direction specified by the direction signal, and this count result is compared with the track value owned by the hard disk device 9. ,
Determine how many hard disk drives R9 there are. Furthermore, the head drive circuit 2 calculates which track it is on, and moves the magnetic head 2 to a position opposite to this track value.
Move to 3.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, in a system that controls a plurality of hard disk drives based on control commands output from a controller managed by a host computer, etc., the number of steps from the current value to the changed track number The controller outputs a step signal that specifies the number of steps and a direction signal that specifies whether the number of steps should be added or subtracted, and the hard disk device is selected based on these signals, so the number of signal lines for connection is increased. It is now possible to add more hard disk drives without any hassle.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of the main part of one embodiment for achieving the method of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is the number of tracks of the present invention. 4 is a block diagram showing the connection relationship of a system consisting of a controller, a hard disk device, and a host computer, and FIG. 5 shows details of the input section of the drive circuit 8 in FIG. 4. It is a circuit diagram. l...Magnetic disk, 2...Magnetic head, 8...
Drive circuit, 9... Hard disk device, 10... Controller, 11... Host computer, 12b.
...Data signal line, 15...CPU, 20...Logic track counter, 21...Magnitude counter, 22...Physical track counter, 23...Head drive circuit, DIR...Direction signal line ,5TE
P...Step signal line. Agent Patent Attorney Takeshi Kenji Department ・・・゛、１１１
Figure 2 Figure 3 Truck Maki

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a hard disk drive driving method that controls multiple hard disk drives based on control commands output from a controller managed by a host computer, etc., multiple hard disk drives are connected in series and tracks formed on the disk are controlled. Outputting from the controller a step signal that is recognized as a series of series numbers and specifies the number of steps from the current value to the changed number of tracks, and a direction signal that specifies whether the number of steps should be added or subtracted; A method for driving a hard disk device, characterized in that a corresponding track is detected from among tracks assigned a series of series numbers based on these signals, and a hard disk device having that track is selected.