JPH076513A - High performance recording and reproducing device and array system using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain the high reliable device capable of high density recording and high speed response by equipping a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, etc., and assigning an area of a part of an alternate area, etc., of a storage area of a magnetic disk, etc. CONSTITUTION:A defective sector is detected by a circuit in a magnetic disk device 30 and a signal processing circuit 6, and an address of the defective sector is previously stored in the nonvolatile memory 9. At the time of starting up the magnetic recording and reproducing device, the address information of the defective sector is read out of the memory 9 into a RAM in the circuit 6. Under this state, when information recording is instructed by user data and a device control signal 33, a signal to be recorded is assigned to an address on the drive 30 by the circuit 60. At this time, upon coincidence of this assigned address with the address of the defective sector read out of the memory 9, recording is controlled by the circuit 6 to exclude this address on the drive 30. The same processing is also applied to the case of reproducing.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording / reproducing apparatus for recording / reproducing information using magnetism or light, or both, and a disk array system using the same, and particularly to high speed access and large capacity. Information can be recorded and reproduced at high speed, and the production yield of the device is high,
The present invention relates to a highly reliable and high performance recording / reproducing apparatus and a high performance disk array system using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The structure of a typical conventional magnetic disk device will be described with reference to FIGS. In the figure, the magnetic disk device is a magnetic disk drive 30.
And the signal processing circuit 6. The magnetic disk drive 30 is mainly composed of a plurality of magnetic disks 1.
A plurality of magnetic heads 2 for recording and reproducing information, a recording and reproducing amplifier 5 corresponding to the plurality of magnetic heads 2, an actuator 3 for moving the magnetic head 2 to a desired cylinder position, and a magnetic disk 1. A spindle motor 4 for rotation, an equalization + modulation / demodulation circuit 10, a servo data processing circuit 11, and an actuator driver circuit 7 which is a driver circuit for the spindle motor 4 and the actuator 3.
And a spindle motor driver circuit 8. The signal processing circuit 6 includes a data processing circuit 12, a control circuit 14, and a buffer memory 13, and the data processing circuit 12 includes a format control circuit 16
The error correction circuit 18, the transfer control circuit 17, and the interface control circuit 19 are mainly included.
A read only memory (hereinafter referred to as ROM) 15 is built in the control circuit 14 and controls the magnetic disk drive 30. Recording / playback amplifier 5
Is connected to the equalization + modulation / demodulation circuit 10. The equalization + modulation / demodulation circuit 10 equalizes and demodulates a reproduction waveform at the time of reproduction, and modulates recording information at the time of recording. The actuator 3 and the spindle motor 4 are driven by respective driver circuits 7 and 8, and the driver circuits 7 and 8 are controlled by the servo data processing circuit 11. In controlling the actuator 3, the equalization + modulation / demodulation circuit 10 uses the servo data processing circuit 1
The information of the reproduced waveform required for the servo is sent to 1. In the recording / reproducing apparatus having the conventional configuration, the data of a specific pattern is recorded in the recording area of the user data when the apparatus is shipped, and it is strictly checked whether this data is normally recorded. At this time, as shown in FIG. 13, if there is a defective area (defect) 35 that is not normally recorded, this recording area is replaced with a predetermined area on the same disk (referred to as a replacement area), and the area is changed. R of the control circuit 14
It is stored in an OM (Read Only Memory) 15 or a management area on the disk. The user can use this defective area 35
When recording / reproducing is performed, the signal processing circuit 6 requests the servo data processing circuit 11 to access the replacement area. The replacement area is extremely important for improving the yield of the recording / reproducing apparatus at the time of shipment, but if the replacement area on the magnetic disk 1 increases, it is necessary to increase the recording density of the apparatus by the area of the replacement area. . In addition, when performing a recording / playback operation that spans several sectors, if the spare area is included in the several sectors, the seek time of the actuator for accessing the spare area, the rotation waiting time, etc. Need extra time to. Furthermore, since the number of replacement areas that can be managed per disk is limited, if more disk surfaces than this number occur, the device cannot be shipped because it does not meet the device capacity specifications. Also,
In the signal processing circuit 6, whether or not the user data reproduced from the magnetic disk drive 30 is correctly reproduced is checked by the error correction circuit 18, and an error check code for correction is added and recorded. The increase in the code itself is also a hindrance to the increase in the device capacity. Further, the use of the replacement area in the disk array system in which a plurality of magnetic disk devices are arranged in an array causes a delay in the response time to the access for the above reason, which causes a problem that the system performance is significantly deteriorated. there were. Further, in a recording / reproducing apparatus of a system that handles moving images, it is necessary to record and reproduce a large amount of continuous data in real time, and it is extremely difficult to use the spare area without delaying the response time to access. Met.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems in the prior art,
By allocating some areas such as the replacement area provided in the recording / reproducing apparatus to a storage area with higher reliability, high-density recording and high-speed response are possible, and the yield at the time of manufacturing the apparatus is good. An object is to provide a highly reliable and high performance recording / reproducing apparatus and a high performance disk array system using the same.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object of the present invention, first of all, in a recording / reproducing apparatus for recording or reproducing information using magnetism or light, or both, The apparatus is provided with at least one kind of first non-volatile memory means and at least one kind of other non-volatile memory means in addition to the first non-volatile memory means. In this configuration, means for allocating a part of a specific storage area of the non-volatile storage means is provided. Secondly, in a recording / reproducing apparatus having a rotating recording medium as a main recording medium, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory (first nonvolatile storage means) is provided, and the rotating recording medium (other nonvolatile storage means). A means for allocating a part of the upper recording area to the nonvolatile semiconductor memory is provided. Thirdly, the nonvolatile semiconductor memory is provided with means for allocating a defective area in the storage area of the other nonvolatile storage means. Also the fourth
In addition, the signal to be recorded is recorded in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory and the rotating recording medium, and when the signal recorded in the rotating recording medium can be reproduced a certain number of times without error, the nonvolatile A means for canceling the allocation of the memory to the semiconductor memory may be provided. Fifthly, the nonvolatile semiconductor memory may be provided with means for allocating an area in which a recording / reproducing error is detected on the rotating recording medium. Sixthly, the nonvolatile semiconductor memory may have a configuration in which only signals to be stored are recorded and redundancy is not included. Seventh, a signal used for error correction may be added to the signal to be stored and recorded in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory. Eighth, a signal to be stored may be compressed and recorded in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory. Ninth, the recording area of the signal to be recorded and reproduced is
Means for determining whether the recording medium is on the rotating recording medium or in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory, means for accessing the nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and means for accessing the rotating recording medium are provided. You can also Tenth, a storage means for temporarily storing a signal to be recorded / reproduced in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and a means for controlling the nonvolatile semiconductor memory and the temporary storage / storage means may be provided. Eleventh, the non-volatile semiconductor memory is provided with means for outputting a signal indicating that the recording / reproducing operation is completed when a signal to be recorded / reproduced in / from the non-volatile semiconductor memory is recorded / reproduced. Twelfth, the means for controlling the non-volatile semiconductor memory and the temporary storage means is the non-volatile semiconductor memory when the number of rewrites of a part of the recording area of the non-volatile semiconductor memory reaches a predetermined number or more. Means for changing to a non-recorded recording area of the active semiconductor memory may be provided. Thirteenth, the nonvolatile semiconductor memory may be provided with a storage area for signals relating to control of a recording / reproducing apparatus using the rotating recording medium. Fourteenth, the means for temporarily storing a signal to be recorded / reproduced in / from the nonvolatile semiconductor memory has a capacity of at least a minimum recording area on the rotating recording medium, and has a recording content for a certain time when the power is turned off. May be provided. Fifteenth, the nonvolatile semiconductor memory can be replaced, and means for displaying a replacement instruction when the number of times of rewriting of a part of the recording area of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory reaches a predetermined number or more is provided. Good. Sixteenth, the nonvolatile semiconductor memory may be provided with a temporary recording area for signals to be stored on the rotating recording medium. Seventeenth, a means for recording the area to be stored in the non-volatile semiconductor memory in the non-volatile semiconductor memory may be provided. Eighteenth, there may be provided means for allocating the recording area of the signal to be stored in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory by limiting it to a partial area of the rotating recording medium. Nineteenth, in a recording / reproducing apparatus whose main recording medium is a rotating recording medium, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory is provided, and a signal used for error correction of a signal recorded on the rotating recording medium is used as the nonvolatile semiconductor memory. Means for recording in memory may be provided. Twentieth, means for arbitrarily changing the length of the signal used for the error correction may be provided. Twenty-first, in a recording / reproducing system in which recording / reproducing devices having a rotating recording medium as a main recording medium are arranged in an array and signals to be stored are dispersed and recorded / reproduced among the recording / reproducing devices, The recording / reproducing apparatus according to any one of the first to twentieth aspects of the present invention is used. Twenty-second, in the recording / reproducing system arranged in the array according to the twenty-first, a means for allocating a recording area of a signal to be stored in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory to a plurality of recording / reproducing devices may be provided. . 23rd, 2nd
In the recording / reproducing system arranged in an array described in Nos. 1 and 22, the nonvolatile semiconductor memory can be replaced, and the number of times of rewriting a part of the storage area of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory reaches a predetermined number or more. A means for displaying a replacement instruction may be provided at the time. Twenty-fourth, in a recording / reproducing system in which recording / reproducing devices having a rotating recording medium as a main recording medium are arranged in an array and signals to be stored are distributed and recorded among the recording / reproducing devices, A predetermined amount of replacement area may be provided on the rotating recording medium of each recording / reproducing apparatus, and means for controlling the replacement area may be provided between the recording / reproducing apparatuses. Twenty-fifth, the nonvolatile semiconductor memory of the recording / reproducing apparatus may be composed of a battery or a storage battery and a volatile semiconductor memory.
Twenty-sixth, the non-volatile semiconductor memory in the recording / reproducing system arranged in the array may be composed of a battery or a storage battery and a volatile semiconductor memory.
Twenty-seventh, the recording / reproducing apparatus whose main recording medium is the rotating recording medium may be any one of a magnetic disk device, an optical disk device, a magneto-optical disk device, or a combination of a plurality of them. Twenty-eighth, the recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention and the recording / reproducing system arranged in an array form
It is preferably used as a high-speed and large-capacity recording / reproducing device for a moving image processing device. Twenty-ninth, the storage means for temporarily storing the signal to be recorded / reproduced in / from the first nonvolatile storage means may be constituted by a random access memory. Thirtiethly, the storage means for temporarily storing the signal to be recorded / reproduced in / from the first non-volatile storage means may be constituted by a non-volatile semiconductor memory.

[0005]

(1) In the recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention, at least one first nonvolatile memory means (nonvolatile semiconductor memory or the like) is provided with another nonvolatile memory means (magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk). A recording / reproducing apparatus (for example, a recording / reproducing apparatus) is allocated and recorded and reproduced. Therefore, the performance as the first non-volatile memory means can be characterized, and the performance and function as the recording / reproducing device, which is another non-volatile memory means, can be improved. (2) Further, in a recording / reproducing apparatus having a rotating recording medium as a main recording medium, a specific area of another nonvolatile storage means is assigned to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory for recording / reproducing. Since the nonvolatile semiconductor memory has no mechanical parts, it is possible to configure a more reliable storage device. (3) Further, the specific area assigned to the nonvolatile semiconductor memory is set as a defective area of the storage area of another nonvolatile storage means. Since the response time for accessing the defective area can be shortened, a recording / reproducing apparatus with higher performance and higher reliability can be configured. (4) The signal to be recorded is recorded in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory and the rotating recording medium, and when the signal recorded in the rotating recording medium can be reproduced a predetermined number of times without error, the nonvolatile And a means for canceling the allocation to the semiconductor memory. Therefore, the non-volatile semiconductor memory can be effectively used, and higher reliability of the recording / reproducing apparatus can be expected. (5) Further, the non-volatile semiconductor memory is provided with means for allocating an area in which a recording / reproducing error is detected on the rotating recording medium. For this reason, it is possible to prevent a permanent error in recording / reproducing in the usage state on the user side, and improve the reliability of the recording / reproducing apparatus. (6) Further, only the signal to be stored is recorded in the non-volatile semiconductor memory, and the signal for error correction is not included. Therefore, the non-volatile semiconductor memory can be used more effectively. (7) Further, a signal for error correction is added to a signal to be stored and recorded in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory. Therefore, performance deterioration due to an increase in rewriting of the non-volatile semiconductor memory can be suppressed and the reliability of the recording / reproducing apparatus is improved. (8) Further, the signal to be stored is compressed and recorded in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory. Therefore, the non-volatile semiconductor memory can be effectively used, and the recording / reproducing apparatus can be made highly reliable and cost-effective. (9) Further, means for judging whether the recording area of the signal to be recorded / reproduced is on the rotating recording medium or in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and means for accessing the nonvolatile semiconductor memory, And means for accessing the rotating recording medium. Since the access to the nonvolatile semiconductor memory and the access to the rotating recording medium can be executed in parallel, the delay of the response time of the recording / reproducing apparatus can be reduced. (10) Further, a storage means for temporarily storing a signal to be recorded / reproduced in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory, a means for controlling the nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and a means for controlling the temporary storage / storage means are provided. By the means for controlling the non-volatile semiconductor memory and the temporary storage means, it is possible to realize a recording / reproducing apparatus with a quick response even if the non-volatile semiconductor memory has a long recording / reproducing time. (11) Further, a means for outputting the completion of the recording / reproducing operation is provided at the time of recording / reproducing of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory. This can simplify the control means of the device that monitors whether the recording / reproducing operation of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory is completed. (12) Further, the means for controlling the non-volatile semiconductor memory and the temporary storage means is a non-volatile semiconductor when the number of times of rewriting a part of the recording area of the non-volatile semiconductor memory reaches a predetermined number or more. Means are provided for changing to a non-recorded recording area of the memory. As a result, the reliability of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory is improved, and as a result, the reliability of the recording / reproducing device is also improved. (13) Further, the nonvolatile semiconductor memory is provided with a storage area for signals relating to control of the recording / reproducing apparatus. As a result, the RO of the control circuit necessary for controlling the entire device is
In the M area, at least a program for moving a storage area in which a signal relating to control of the device of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory is recorded to a random access memory (hereinafter referred to as RAM) of the control circuit may be stored. Therefore, by rewriting the program of the storage area of the signal relating to the control of the device of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory,
Even with the same device configuration, the control method of the recording / reproducing device can be changed, and it is possible to cope with diversification of device specifications at low cost. (14) Further, the means for temporarily storing the signal to be recorded / reproduced in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory has a recording area of at least the minimum capacity on the rotating recording medium, and retains the recorded content for a certain time when the power is turned off. Provide means. If the signal to be recorded is retained in the temporary storage means even when the power is cut off, the recording operation to the nonvolatile semiconductor memory may be performed when the power is restored. Therefore, when recording in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory, the response to the recording request from the user indicating that the recording is completed may be performed at the time when the recording is completed in the temporary storage means, and the response speed of the recording / reproducing apparatus may be changed. Can be improved. (15) Further, the nonvolatile semiconductor memory is made replaceable, and means is provided for displaying a replacement instruction when the number of times of rewriting of a part of the storage area of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory reaches a predetermined number or more. When the instruction to replace the nonvolatile semiconductor memory is issued, the contents of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory are
The contents are temporarily saved in a memory outside the device or on a rotating recording medium, and when the device user or maintenance personnel have finished replacing the nonvolatile semiconductor memory, the temporarily saved contents are replaced. It is recorded in a nonvolatile semiconductor memory. The reliability of the recording / reproducing apparatus can be ensured simply by exchanging a small-capacity, low-cost non-volatile semiconductor memory. (16) Further, the nonvolatile semiconductor memory is provided with a temporary recording area of a signal to be stored on the rotating recording medium. The latest signal to be stored on the rotating recording medium is also recorded in a partial area of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and when recording is completed in a partial area of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory, the user The recording completion response to the recording request from is output. The power is shut off during the seek of the recording / playback device,
Even if the recording could not be performed, the recording operation can be continued as soon as the power is restored because the signal to be recorded remains in a part of the area of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory. Therefore, the response regarding the completion of the recording of the device may be at the time when the recording is completed in a part of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and the response speed to the recording in the recording / reproducing device can be improved. (17) Further, means for recording the area to be stored in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory is provided. The address of the defective area on the rotating recording medium is stored in the nonvolatile semiconductor memory itself, and when the power is turned on, the address of the defective area on the rotating recording medium is loaded into the RAM of the controller circuit of the apparatus. The address of the defective area can be added and corrected relatively easily, and the address may span a plurality of rotating recording media.
Therefore, even if many defective areas occur on the surface of a specific recording medium, it is sufficient that the entire apparatus is within the allocated capacity of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and the yield of the recording / reproducing apparatus is improved. (18) Further, a means for allocating the recording area of the signal to be stored in the non-volatile semiconductor memory is limited to a partial area of the rotating recording medium. In the radial direction on the rotating recording medium, when the rotation speed and the recording / reproducing frequency of the signal to be recorded / reproduced are constant, the recording density on the inner peripheral side of the recording medium becomes large. Therefore, there is a high possibility that the area closer to the inner circumference will be a defective area. Therefore, addresses of defective areas are narrowed down and allocated to the inner circumference side. As a result, the storage capacity for storing the address of the defective area can be reduced. (19) According to the present invention, in a recording / reproducing apparatus having a rotating recording medium as a main recording medium, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory is provided, and a signal used for error correction of a signal recorded on the rotating recording medium is used as the nonvolatile recording medium. A means for recording in a semiconductor memory having a characteristic is provided. Since the signal to be used for error correction is recorded on the rotating recording medium,
The capacity of the recording medium can be increased. Further, since access to the rotating recording medium and access to the nonvolatile semiconductor memory can be started at the same time, the time required for error detection and correction can be shortened. (20) Further, a means for arbitrarily changing the length of the signal used for error correction is provided. This makes it possible to increase the length of the signal used for error correction when higher detection and correction capability is required, and to decrease the length of the signal used for error correction when it is not necessary. It is possible to optimize the capacity of the semiconductor memory. (21) In a recording / reproducing system in which recording / reproducing devices having a rotating recording medium as a main recording medium are arranged in an array and signals to be stored are dispersed and recorded among the recording / reproducing devices. The recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention is used. As a result, a more reliable array system can be constructed. (22) Further, in a recording / reproducing system in which recording / reproducing devices having a rotating recording medium as a main recording medium are arranged in an array, a plurality of recording / reproducing areas for recording signals to be stored in a nonvolatile semiconductor memory are provided. Means for assigning to the device are provided. As a result, at least one nonvolatile semiconductor memory is required among the plurality of recording / reproducing devices, and the nonvolatile semiconductor memory can be used with high efficiency. (23) In the recording / reproducing system arranged in an array, the nonvolatile semiconductor memory can be replaced, and a replacement instruction is issued when the number of times of rewriting of a part of the storage area of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory reaches a certain number or more. A means for displaying is provided. At the time of the instruction to replace the nonvolatile semiconductor memory,
The contents of the non-volatile semiconductor memory are temporarily saved in a memory outside the recording / reproducing apparatus or a rotating recording medium, and when the user or maintenance staff of the array system finishes exchanging the non-volatile semiconductor memory, The temporarily saved contents are recorded in the exchanged nonvolatile semiconductor memory. High reliability of the array system can be ensured simply by exchanging a small-capacity, low-cost non-volatile semiconductor memory. (24) Further, in a recording / reproducing system in which recording / reproducing devices having a rotating recording medium as a main recording medium are arranged in an array and signals to be stored are dispersed and recorded among the recording / reproducing devices, A certain amount of replacement area is provided on the rotating recording medium of each recording / reproducing apparatus, and means for controlling the replacement area is provided between the recording / reproducing apparatuses. Therefore, even if a large number of defective areas occur in a specific recording / reproducing apparatus, it is sufficient that the entire array system is within the capacity to which the replacement area is allocated, and the yield of the recording / reproducing apparatus is improved. (25) Further, the nonvolatile semiconductor memory of the recording / reproducing apparatus may be composed of a battery or a storage battery and a volatile semiconductor memory. As a result, a high-speed recording / reproducing operation can be easily performed, and a non-volatile memory in which the number of times of rewriting is not limited can be realized, and the recording / reproducing apparatus can be made highly reliable. (26) Further, the nonvolatile semiconductor memory of the recording / reproducing system can be composed of a battery or a storage battery and a volatile semiconductor memory. This makes it possible to realize high-speed recording / reproduction, realize a non-volatile memory with no limit on the number of times of rewriting, and make the array system more reliable. (27) The recording / reproducing apparatus whose main recording medium is a rotating recording medium may be a magnetic disk device, an optical disk device, a magneto-optical disk device, or a combination of a plurality of these devices. Both devices are recording / reproducing devices with a large capacity of several tens of megabytes to several gigabytes, and access response in several tens to several milliseconds is possible, and further high reliability and high performance can be achieved by applying the present invention. It comes off. Incidentally, in a recording / reproducing apparatus using an exchangeable medium such as an optical disk apparatus or a magneto-optical disk apparatus, the medium itself has position information of a defective area and a replacement area of the defective area, and when the apparatus is loaded with the exchangeable medium, The position information of the defective area and the replacement area of the defective area are read by the non-volatile memory. If the non-volatile memory is regarded as an alternate area and recording / reproducing is performed, even if a defective sector exists in the information extending over several sectors, continuous recording / reproducing can be performed by various means. Immediately before taking out the removable medium, the information in the nonvolatile memory may be written in the spare area of the medium itself. (28) Further, the recording / reproducing apparatus and the recording / reproducing system according to the present invention are incorporated as a sub storage device of an apparatus for processing a moving image. By using a recording / reproducing apparatus or an array system suitable for recording / reproducing a large amount of information continuously and capable of high-speed response according to the present invention as a moving image processing apparatus, the moving image processing apparatus is required for real-time processing. It suffices to store the information of such a moving image in a main storage means such as a RAM in the processing device, and basically the input / output buffer memory for the sub storage device may be omitted. Therefore, the memory size of the moving image processing apparatus can be significantly reduced, and power consumption and cost can be reduced. (29) In the configuration in which a nonvolatile semiconductor memory is used as the first non-volatile storage means, the storage means for temporarily storing the signal to be recorded / reproduced in the first non-volatile storage means is RA.
Composed of M. As a result, it becomes possible to perform recording / reproducing to / from the nonvolatile semiconductor memory at a higher speed. (30) Further, in the configuration in which the magnetic disk device is used as the first non-volatile storage means, the storage means for temporarily storing the signal to be recorded / reproduced in the first non-volatile storage means is composed of a non-volatile semiconductor memory. . This enables faster recording / reproducing in the magnetic disk device.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in more detail with reference to the drawings. <Embodiment 1> A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, an example in which the high-performance recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention is applied to a recording / reproducing apparatus whose main recording medium is a magnetic disk will be described. In FIG. 1, a magnetic disk 1
The state of the recording surface of is shown. A plurality of sectors 37 are arranged in the circumferential direction of the magnetic disk 1. On this magnetic disk 1, there is a possibility that there is a portion that induces a reproduction error, such as a defect (defective area) 35 shown by a black dot, and when this portion partially overlaps with the sector 37, the sector 37 of that portion An error condition will always occur when recording and reproducing. The configuration of the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus of this embodiment is shown in FIG.
The present embodiment is a highly reliable high performance magnetic disk device including a magnetic disk drive 30 having the magnetic disk 1 as a recording medium, a non-volatile memory 9 and a signal processing circuit 6. At the time of shipment of this magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, the sector 37 having the defect 35 as shown in FIG. 1 is detected by the circuit in the magnetic disk drive 30 and the signal processing circuit 6 to detect the defective sector having the defect 35. The address is recorded in the nonvolatile memory 9 in advance. On the user side, when the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus is activated, the signal processing circuit 6 reads the address information of the defective sector from the nonvolatile memory 9 to the RAM in the signal processing circuit 6. In this state, when information recording is instructed by the user data and the device control signal 33, the signal processing circuit 6 assigns the signal to be recorded to the address on the magnetic disk drive 30. At this time, if a part of the assigned address matches the address of the defective sector read from the non-volatile memory 9, the signal processing circuit 6 records in the magnetic disk drive 30 except the information corresponding to the address of the defective sector. Control to
The information corresponding to the address of the defective sector is controlled to be recorded in the data area of the non-volatile memory 9 corresponding to the address of the defective sector. When the reproduction of information is instructed by the user data and the device control signal 33, the same processing as above is performed. At this time, if a non-volatile semiconductor memory is used as the non-volatile memory 9, since a mechanical component is not provided, a more reliable recording / reproducing device can be configured.
The capacity of the non-volatile semiconductor memory in this case depends on the quality of the recording / reproducing signal of the main body of the magnetic disk drive 30, but is usually several hundreds to several thousandths at most of the total device capacity. For example, the manufacturing yield. About 90% of recording / reproducing devices can be improved to almost 100% yield. In addition, the response time to access in the case of having a defective sector can be significantly shortened as compared with the conventional technique. Here, consider a case where a defective sector is included in the data extending over several sectors and the magnetic disk 1 is assigned to a replacement sector having a different radius. In the prior art, compared with the present embodiment, the signal processing circuit 6
Even if the internal buffer memory or the like is effectively used, at least the rotation waiting time for accessing the replacement sector and the head seek time are required. If the cost of the non-volatile semiconductor memory is reduced, the capacity ratio of the non-volatile semiconductor memory can be increased to reduce the cost of the magnetic disk drive body. The non-volatile memory 9 normally stores a signal for error correction added to the user data, but the user data may be directly recorded so that the redundancy is not included. As a result, the non-volatile memory 9 can be used more effectively, and cost reduction of the recording / reproducing apparatus can be expected. The non-volatile memory 9 may compress and record the signal to be recorded. The signal to be recorded is recorded in the non-volatile memory 9 and the magnetic disk drive 30, and is allocated to the non-volatile memory 9 when the signal recorded in the magnetic disk drive 30 can be reproduced a predetermined number of times without error. May be canceled. Also, FIG.
As shown in the magnetic disk 1 shown in FIG. 7 and the recording / reproducing signal format F1 shown in FIG. 7, when a new recording / reproducing error is detected during operation of the magnetic disk device, this area is stored in the nonvolatile memory 9 described above. You may add and allocate. As a result, it is possible to prevent permanent error in recording / reproduction on the user side, and improve the reliability of the recording / reproduction device. Whether the recording area of the signal to be recorded / reproduced is on the magnetic disk drive 30,
The signal processing circuit 6 may be provided with means for determining whether or not it is in the non-volatile memory 9, and the non-volatile memory 9 and the magnetic disk drive 30 may be accessed in parallel. This speeds up the response of the recording / reproducing apparatus. Further, the nonvolatile memory 9 is provided with a storage means for temporarily storing a signal to be recorded / reproduced, and a means for controlling the nonvolatile memory 9 and the temporary storage / storage means, so that the recording / reproducing time of the nonvolatile memory 9 can be reduced. Even if it is large, it is possible to realize a recording / reproducing apparatus which has a fast response to the outside of the apparatus. Further, the non-volatile memory 9 may be provided with means for outputting that the recording / reproducing operation is completed. As a result, it is possible to simplify the control of the signal processing circuit 6 that monitors whether the recording / reproducing operation for the nonvolatile memory 9 is completed. An electrically erasable ROM (hereinafter referred to as flash EEPROM) is used as the non-volatile memory 9, and a part of the recording area of the flash EEPROM is rewritten by means for controlling the flash EEPROM and the temporary storage means. Means may be provided for changing to a recording area in which the number of times of rewriting of the flash EEPROM is less than or equal to a predetermined number when the number of times reaches or exceeds a predetermined number. This increases the reliability of the non-volatile memory and, as a result, the reliability of the magnetic recording device. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the non-volatile memory 9 may be provided with a storage area for programs and data relating to control of the entire magnetic disk device. As a result, the R in the signal processing circuit 6 necessary for controlling the entire apparatus is
In the OM area, at least a program for controlling the entire device stored in the non-volatile memory 9 and a program for transferring data to the RAM of the signal processing circuit 6 may be stored. Therefore, by rewriting the program and data storage area of the non-volatile memory 9 for controlling the recording / reproducing apparatus, the control method of the recording / reproducing apparatus can be changed even with the same apparatus configuration. It is possible to deal with diversification at low cost. Further, the means for temporarily storing the recorded / reproduced signal in the non-volatile memory 9 has a capacity of at least the minimum recording area of the magnetic disk drive 30, and is provided with means for holding the recorded content for a predetermined time when the power is cut off. Good. As a result, the signal to be recorded is retained in the temporary storage means even when the power is cut off, and the recording operation may be performed in the nonvolatile storage area in the nonvolatile memory 9 when the power is restored. Therefore, the signal processing circuit 6 may respond to the recording request from the user with respect to the recording completion at the time when the recording is completed in the temporary storage means, and thus the response speed of the recording / reproducing apparatus can be improved. Be done. Further, when the nonvolatile memory 9 is composed of a nonvolatile semiconductor memory and can be attached to and detached from the magnetic disk device, and the number of times of rewriting of an arbitrary recording area of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory is a predetermined number or more,
The non-volatile memory 9 may issue a replacement instruction to the signal processing circuit 6, and the signal processing circuit 6 may be provided with means for receiving this instruction and displaying it to the user. At the time when an instruction to replace the non-volatile memory 9 is issued, or when the user responds to the instruction to replace, the contents of the non-volatile memory 9 are temporarily saved in a memory outside the device or a recording area on the magnetic disk. When the replacement of the non-volatile memory 9 is completed, the temporarily saved contents are recorded in the replaced non-volatile semiconductor memory, so that a small capacity non-volatile semiconductor memory can be replaced. The high reliability of the magnetic recording device can be ensured. Further, such a series of operations may be performed while the access to the magnetic disk device is open, and it is not necessary to turn off the power of the recording / reproducing device. Further, the non-volatile memory 9 may be provided with a temporary recording area for signals to be stored on the magnetic disk drive 30. The signal processing circuit 6 also records the latest signal to be stored on the magnetic disk drive 30 in a partial area of the non-volatile memory 9, and when the recording is completed in the partial area of the non-volatile memory 9. , Outputs a recording completion response to the recording request from the user. Even if recording was not possible because the power was cut off during the seek operation of the recording / reproducing apparatus, the signal to be recorded remains in a part of the area of the non-volatile semiconductor memory. You can continue. Therefore, the response regarding the recording completion of the recording / reproducing apparatus may be made at the time when the recording is completed in a partial area of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and the response speed to the recording in the recording / reproducing apparatus can be improved. Further, the address of the area to be stored in the non-volatile memory 9 may be recorded in a specific area of the non-volatile memory 9 itself. In this case, when the power is turned on, the signal processing circuit 6 accesses the specific area of the nonvolatile memory 9 and loads the address of the defective area on the magnetic disk drive 30 into the RAM of the signal processing circuit 6. By storing the address of the defective area in the nonvolatile memory 9 in this manner, the defective area can be added and corrected relatively easily. Further, the address of the defective area may span a plurality of magnetic disks. Therefore, even if many defective areas occur on a specific magnetic disk surface, it is sufficient that the entire recording / reproducing apparatus is within the allocated capacity of the nonvolatile memory 9, and the yield of the recording / reproducing apparatus to be manufactured is improved. Further, the present invention basically does not define in what form the user data is recorded inside the other non-volatile storage means such as a magnetic disk or an optical disk. However, since the defective area tends to be biased to a specific area due to the difference in the internal recording form of the magnetic disk or the optical disk, as shown in FIGS. The recording area may be assigned only to a partial area of the magnetic disk 1. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a defective area (defect) 35 of recording / reproduction when the recording / reproducing frequency of the signal to be recorded / reproduced is constant in the radial direction of the magnetic disk 1. Since the number of rotations of the magnetic disk 1 is constant, the recording density on the inner circumference side of the recording medium increases, and there is a high possibility that the defective area 35 will be formed on the inner circumference side. Therefore, the address of the defective area 35 is narrowed down and assigned to the inner peripheral side. FIG. 9 shows the radial direction of the magnetic disk 1.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a defective area (defect) 35 of recording and reproduction when a recording resistance of a signal to be recorded and reproduced is substantially constant and a magnetoresistive head is used as a reproducing head. This is because the recording density is constant and the recording / reproducing speed increases toward the outer circumference. In reproducing with a magnetoresistive head, since the sensitivity of the head does not depend on the relative speed to the magnetic disk, the signal frequency band increases toward the outer peripheral side, which deteriorates the reproduced signal quality and may result in a defective area 35. high. Therefore, in this case, the address of the defective area 35 is narrowed down and assigned to the outer peripheral side. As a result, the address area for monitoring the defective area 35 is reduced, and the capacity for storing this address can be reduced. Further, in the present embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory is applied to the first non-volatile storage means, and a magnetic disk device is applied to the other storage means. However, this is applied to the magnetic disk device and other non-volatile memories to the first non-volatile storage means. An optical disk device, a magneto-optical disk device, or the like may be applied to the storage means. In this case, it is obvious that a non-volatile semiconductor memory is suitable for the temporary storage means of the magnetic disk device which is the first non-volatile storage means.

<Second Embodiment> A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. This embodiment shows a case where the present invention is applied to a recording / reproducing apparatus having a magnetic disk as a main recording medium. FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the recording / reproducing apparatus of the present embodiment. As with the first embodiment, a magnetic disk drive 30 having the magnetic disk 1 as a recording medium, a non-volatile memory 9, and a signal processing circuit 6 are shown. Consists of. The present embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the content of signals stored in the nonvolatile memory 9. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the signal to be recorded / reproduced in / from the magnetic disk drive 30 is different from the recording / reproduction format F1 of the conventional magnetic recording apparatus, and as shown in the recording / reproduction format F2, an error of user data is generated. A signal used for correction (hereinafter referred to as ECC data) 32 'is recorded in the non-volatile memory 9. Recording / reproducing signal of magnetic disk drive 30 (excluding ECC data)
24 'is only user data. When information recording is instructed by the user data and device control signal 33, the signal processing circuit 6 causes the ECC data 3 corresponding to the user data.
2'is generated. The signal processing circuit 6 records the user data among these signals as the recording / reproducing signal 24 'in the magnetic disk drive 30, and records the ECC data 32' in the non-volatile memory 9. When the reproduction of information is instructed by the user data and device control signal 33, the signal processing circuit 6 reproduces the user data from the magnetic disk drive 30 as a recording / reproducing signal 24 'and the ECC data.
From the nonvolatile memory 9 to the recording / reproducing signal 24 '.
The ECC data 32 'corresponding to is read. Moreover,
The ECC data 32 'inspects the recording / reproducing signal 24' for any error, and if it is correctable, corrects it. According to this embodiment, the magnetic disk drive 30 has an ECC data
Since the data is recorded excluding the data, more user data can be recorded and the capacity of the recording / reproducing apparatus increases. Further, since access to the magnetic disk drive 30 and access to the non-volatile memory 9 can be started at the same time, the time required for error detection and correction can be shortened. In addition, the signal processing circuit 6 may be provided with means for arbitrarily changing the length and type of ECC data. by this,
If higher detection / correction capability is required, the ECC data length is increased with a type having a higher correction capability, and if not, the ECC data length is reduced with a simpler type. The capacity of the nonvolatile memory 9 can be optimized.

<Embodiment 3> A third embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.
It will be described using 0. In the present embodiment, the internal configurations of the magnetic disk drive 30 and the signal processing circuit 6 are shown in detail. However, how each of these internal configurations operates is almost the same as the above-mentioned prior art. As described with reference to No. 12, only the part related to the recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention will be described here. In this embodiment, the nonvolatile memory 9 has a flash EE.
Buffer memory 1 in signal processing circuit 6 using PROM
3 also serves as a temporary storage area of the non-volatile memory 9. The buffer memory 13 is originally a temporary storage area for signals to be recorded / reproduced in / from the magnetic disk drive 30, and is generally used to shorten the response time to access. In this embodiment, a part of the storage area of the buffer memory 13 is assigned to the temporary storage area of the non-volatile memory 9. According to the present embodiment, a flash EEPR having a capacity of 0.1% to several% of the device capacity is added to the conventional magnetic disk device.
By providing the OM 9 and partially changing the control sequence of the signal processing circuit 6, it is possible to realize a highly reliable magnetic disk device having a high response speed to access.
Also, in this embodiment, the various variations shown in the first and second embodiments can be similarly implemented.

<Embodiment 4> A fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.
This will be described using 1. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to an array-shaped recording / reproducing system in which magnetic disk drives 30 are arranged in an array and signals to be stored are distributed or duplicated among the magnetic disk drives 30. This is an example of the above, and a more reliable disk array system can be configured. FIG. 11 shows an example of the configuration of the disk array system in this embodiment. As shown in the figure, it is composed of a plurality of magnetic disk drives 30 and a disk controller 36 for controlling recording / reproducing signals between the plurality of magnetic disk drives 30. The magnetic disk drive 30 is the high-reliability and high-performance magnetic disk recording / reproducing apparatus shown in the first to third embodiments, and the non-volatile memory 9 is built in the magnetic disk drive 30. Disk controller 3
6 is user data and disk array control signal 3
User data input / output from 4'is distributed or duplicated among a plurality of magnetic disk drives 30 to control recording / reproduction. Although details of the operation are omitted, since the magnetic disk drive 30 replaces the defective area of the magnetic disk 1 with the non-volatile memory 9, the response is basically fast and the reliability is high. Therefore, even in a disk array system using the same, an array system having higher responsiveness and higher reliability can be realized. Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the nonvolatile memory 9 is replaced by the disk controller 3
It may be provided in the storage device 6 and assigned to a plurality of magnetic disk drives 30. As a result, at least one non-volatile memory 9 is required in the disk array system, and the non-volatile memory 9 can be used efficiently. Furthermore, the non-volatile memory 9 is made replaceable, and when the number of times of rewriting of a specific area of the non-volatile memory 9 exceeds a predetermined value,
The disk controller 36 is a means for displaying a replacement instruction.
It may be provided inside. When an instruction to replace the non-volatile memory 9 is issued, the contents of the non-volatile memory 9 are temporarily saved in a memory outside the system or on a plurality of magnetic disk drives 30 so that the system user or maintenance personnel can perform the non-volatile operation. When the replacement of the nonvolatile memory 9 is completed, the temporarily saved contents are recorded in the replaced nonvolatile memory 9. As a result, the reliability of the disk array system can be ensured simply by exchanging the small-capacity nonvolatile memory 9. Even if the non-volatile memory 9 is not used in the magnetic disk drive 30 and the disk controller 36, a certain amount of spare area is provided in the magnetic disk drive 30 and the magnetic disk drives 30 are provided in the disk controller 36. A means for controlling the replacement area may be provided, and the capacity of the replacement area in the entire disk array system may be allocated, so that the yield of the disk array system can be improved. It goes without saying that the non-volatile memory of the magnetic disk device and the disk array system used in the above embodiments may be composed of a battery or a storage battery and a volatile semiconductor memory. As a result, it is possible to realize high-speed recording / reproducing easily, realize a non-volatile memory with no limit on the number of times of rewriting, and make the magnetic disk drive and disk array system more reliable. Further, although the above-mentioned embodiments mainly describe the recording / reproducing apparatus and the disk array system using the magnetic disk as the recording medium, the same apparatus and system can be configured by using the optical disk or the magneto-optical disk as the recording medium. is there. Further, various recording / reproducing devices and array systems shown in the above embodiments are incorporated into a system such as a workstation or various moving image devices, and a non-volatile memory or the like is used in common with the system such as the workstation. It goes without saying that it is good. In particular, if the above-described embodiment of the present invention is applied to a moving image device that handles a large amount of continuous data, a high-performance and large-capacity image file device that can obtain a large amount of continuous data at high speed can be used as a low-cost device. Can be realized at cost.

[0010]

As described in detail above, the high-performance recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention and the disk array system using the same can provide a high-performance recording / reproducing apparatus capable of high-speed response and high reliability. Can be made. Further, the high-performance recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention is suitable for a system that records / reproduces a large amount of information at high speed, and the disk array system of the present invention has high reliability and is capable of high-speed response. Moreover, a low cost array system can be realized.

[0011]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a generation state of a defective area on a magnetic disk exemplified in a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the recording / reproducing apparatus illustrated in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration of a recording / reproducing apparatus illustrated in a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a recording / reproducing signal format exemplified in a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an error detection area that occurs during operation of the magnetic disk device illustrated in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the recording / reproducing apparatus illustrated in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a recording / reproducing signal format exemplified in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a generation state of a defective area on the magnetic disk exemplified in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the generation state of a defective area on the magnetic disk exemplified in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the recording / reproducing apparatus illustrated in Example 3 of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the recording / reproducing apparatus exemplified in Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a conventional recording / reproducing apparatus.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a state of occurrence of a defective area on a conventional magnetic disk.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the recording / reproducing apparatus exemplified in Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Magnetic disk 2 ... Magnetic head 3 ... Actuator 4 ... Spindle motor 5 ... Recording / reproducing amplifier 6 ... Signal processing circuit 7 ... Actuator driver circuit 8 ... Spindle motor driver circuit 9 ... Non-volatile memory (flash EEPROM) 10 ... Equalization + Modulation / demodulation circuit 11 ... Servo data processing circuit 12 ... Data processing circuit 13 ... Buffer memory 14 ... Control circuit 15 ... Read only memory (ROM) 16 ... Format control circuit 17 ... Transfer control circuit 18 ... Error correction circuit 19 ... Interface control circuit 20 ... Recording / playback amplifier control circuit 21 ... Actuator control output 22 ... Spindle motor control output 23 ... Equalization output signal and modulation output signal 24 ... Recording / playback signal (including ECC data) 24 '... Recording / playback signal (not including ECC data) 25 ... Servo input signal 26 ... Actuator control signal 27 ... Spindle motor control signal 28 ... Servo control signal 29 ... Non-volatile memory control signal 30 ... Magnetic disk drive 31 ... Data processing circuit control signal 32 ... Recording / playback signal to non-volatile memory 32 '... Signals used for error correction of user data (EC
C data) 33 ... User data and device control signal 33 '... User data and disk array control signal 34 ... Magnetic disk device recording / reproducing signal and control signal 34' ... User data and disk array control signal 35 ... Defective area (Defect) 35 '... New defective area (defect generated during use of device) 36 ... Disk controller 37 ... Sector F1 ... Prior art recording / reproducing signal format F2 ... Inventing recording / reproducing signal format

Front Page Continuation (72) Inventor Makoto Koizumi 1-280 Higashi Koigokubo, Kokubunji City, Tokyo Inside Hitachi Central Research Laboratory

Claims (30)

[Claims] 1. A recording / reproducing apparatus for recording or reproducing information using magnetism, light, or both, wherein the recording / reproducing apparatus includes at least one kind of first non-volatile memory means and the first non-volatile memory means. In addition to one non-volatile storage means, at least one other non-volatile storage means is provided, and means for allocating a part of a specific storage area of the other non-volatile storage means to the first non-volatile storage means is provided. A high-performance recording / reproducing device characterized in that 2. The recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording / reproducing apparatus is a recording / reproducing apparatus for information having a rotating recording medium as another main non-volatile memory means, and the first non-volatile memory means is provided in the recording / reproducing apparatus. A high-performance recording / reproducing device characterized by comprising a non-volatile semiconductor memory. 3. The means according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising means for allocating a storage area having a poor recording / reproducing characteristic in a storage area of another non-volatile storage means to the first non-volatile storage means. High performance recording / playback device. 4. The signal to be recorded according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the signal to be recorded is recorded in the first non-volatile memory means and another non-volatile memory means, and is recorded in the other non-volatile memory means. A high-performance recording / reproducing apparatus, which is provided with means for canceling the allocation to the first nonvolatile memory means when the reproduced signal can be reproduced a certain number of times without error. 5. The first non-volatile storage means according to claim 1, further comprising means for allocating an area where a recording / reproducing error in another non-volatile storage means is detected. Characteristic high performance recording / reproducing device. 6. The first non-volatile storage means according to claim 1, wherein the first non-volatile storage means is provided with means for recording only a signal to be stored and not including redundancy. High performance recording / playback device. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first non-volatile storage means is provided with means for adding an error correction signal to a signal to be stored and recording the signal. Characteristic high performance recording / reproducing device. 8. The high performance recording according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the first non-volatile memory means is provided with means for compressing and recording a signal to be stored. Playback device. 9. The storage area for a signal to be recorded / reproduced in another non-volatile storage means or in the first non-volatile storage means according to any one of claims 1 to 8. A high-performance recording / reproducing apparatus, which is provided with a means for determining whether or not it exists, a means for accessing the first non-volatile storage means, and a means for accessing the other non-volatile storage means. 10. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein the storage device temporarily stores a signal to be recorded and reproduced in the first nonvolatile storage device, the first nonvolatile storage device, and the temporary storage device. A high performance recording / reproducing apparatus provided with a means for controlling a storage / storage means. 11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.
In the paragraph, the first non-volatile memory means is, when a signal recorded and reproduced in the first non-volatile memory means is recorded and reproduced,
A high-performance recording / reproducing apparatus provided with means for outputting the completion of the recording / reproducing operation. 12. The method according to claim 10 or 11,
The means for controlling the first non-volatile storage means and the temporary storage means is the first non-volatile storage means when the number of rewrites of a part of the recording area of the first non-volatile storage means reaches a predetermined number or more. A high-performance recording / reproducing apparatus comprising means for changing the number of times of rewriting of the recording area to a recording area of a predetermined number or less. 13. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.
A high-performance recording / reproducing apparatus according to the item 1, wherein the first non-volatile storage means is provided with an area for storing a signal relating to control of another non-volatile storage means. 14. The means for temporarily storing a signal to be recorded / reproduced in the first non-volatile storage means according to claim 10, wherein the capacity of at least the minimum recording area of the other non-volatile storage means. And a high-performance recording / reproducing apparatus characterized by further comprising means for holding the recorded contents for a predetermined time when the power is cut off. 15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.
In the paragraph 1, the first non-volatile memory means is replaceable, and means for displaying a replacement instruction is provided when the number of rewriting times of a part of the storage area of the first non-volatile memory means reaches a predetermined number or more. High-performance recording / reproducing device characterized by. 16. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.
The high-performance recording / reproducing apparatus as described in the item 1, wherein the first non-volatile storage means includes a temporary recording area of a signal to be stored in another non-volatile storage means. 17. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.
In the paragraph 1, a high performance is provided, which has means for recording a part of the storage area of the other non-volatile storage means assigned to the first non-volatile storage means in the specific area of the first non-volatile storage means. Recording / playback device. 18. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 17.
The high-performance recording / reproducing apparatus according to the item 1, wherein the storage area of the other non-volatile storage means assigned to the first non-volatile storage means is limited to a specific area. 19. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 17.
In the paragraph 1, there is provided a recording / reproducing apparatus having at least two types of non-volatile storage means, wherein the first non-volatile storage means is provided with means for recording a signal used for correcting an error in a signal recorded in another non-volatile storage means. A high-performance recording / reproducing device characterized in that 20. A high performance recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising means for arbitrarily changing the type and length of a code used for error correction. 21. A system for arranging at least one kind of recording / reproducing device in an array form to disperse and record a signal to be stored, wherein the recording / reproducing device is any one of claims 1 to 20. An array system using the high-performance recording / reproducing apparatus described in any one of 1. 22. At least one kind of first non-volatile storage means according to claim 21, wherein the first non-volatile storage means is part of a recording area of a plurality of recording / reproducing devices which are other non-volatile storage means. A high-performance array system characterized by being configured to allocate. 23. The first non-volatile memory device according to claim 22, wherein the first non-volatile memory device is replaceable, and when the number of times of rewriting of a specific area of the first non-volatile memory device reaches a predetermined number or more, the first non-volatile memory device is replaced.
2. A high-performance array system, characterized in that means for instructing replacement of the non-volatile memory means is provided. 24. Any one of claims 1 to 20.
An array system in which at least one kind of the high-performance recording / reproducing apparatus described in the item 1 is arranged in an array and the signals to be stored are dispersed and recorded / reproduced. A high-performance array system comprising a region, and means for controlling the replacement region between the respective recording / reproducing devices. 25. Any one of claims 1 to 20.
The high-performance recording / reproducing apparatus according to the item 1, wherein the first non-volatile storage means includes a battery or a storage battery and a volatile semiconductor memory. 26. The high performance array system according to claim 21, wherein the first non-volatile memory means is composed of a battery or a storage battery and a volatile semiconductor memory. . 27. A high performance recording / reproducing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 20 and 25, or a high performance according to any one of claims 21 to 24 and 26. In the array system, the main nonvolatile storage means of the recording / reproducing apparatus or the recording / reproducing apparatus constituting the array system is composed of a combination of at least one kind of disk recording medium selected from a magnetic disk, an optical disk and a magneto-optical disk. High performance recording / reproducing device or high performance array system. 28. The high performance recording / reproducing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 20 and claim 25, or any one of claims 21 to 24, and claim 26 to claim 27. A signal processing apparatus for a moving image, comprising at least one kind of the recording / reproducing apparatus or the array system selected from the high-performance array system described in the above item. 29. The high-performance recording / reproducing apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 20 and 25, or any one of claims 21 to 24, and 26 to 28. In the high-performance array system described in the item 1, the high-performance recording / reproducing apparatus or the high-performance array wherein the storage means for temporarily storing the signal to be recorded / reproduced in the first non-volatile storage means is composed of a random access memory. system. 30. The high-performance recording / reproducing apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 20 and 25, or any one of claims 21 to 24, and 26 to 28. In the high-performance array system described in the item 1, the high-performance recording / reproducing apparatus and the high-performance recording / reproducing apparatus characterized in that the storage means for temporarily storing the signal to be recorded / reproduced in the first non-volatile storage means is composed of a non-volatile semiconductor memory. Array system.