JPS6398721A - Composite memory device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the access time by adding a rewritable nonvolatile semiconductor memory to a disk cartridge to record the contents of a directory. CONSTITUTION:A disk cartridge storing matter 1 contains a magnetic or optical disk 12 serving as a disk-shaped recording medium together with a semiconductor chip 9 and a terminal 7 which functions to perform transfer of signals between the chip 9 and a disk driver serving as an external application device. The chip 9 serves as a rewritable nonvolatile semiconductor memory and records the directory information on the disk 12 with transfer of signals carried out by the disk driver via a terminal 7. The disk driver first issues an access to the directory recorded on the chip 9 according to a read instruction given from the host side and shifts a head to the relevant track recognized by said access to give an access to the data on the relevant sector.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention is designed to reduce the so-called access time required for reading information recorded on a recording track or writing information to a recording track, such as a magnetic disk or an optical disk. The present invention relates to a composite memory device which aims to shorten the above-mentioned access time by providing a relatively large memory with a semiconductor memory capable of storing data required for the track access.

[Conventional technology]

The format of a magnetic disk or an optical disk is as shown in FIG. 4. In a disk-shaped recording medium, for example, a magnetic disk, the medium has a large number of tracks 20, 21, . −・・・
. . and each track is divided into a number of sectors 22 . 22. ---------... and assign track addresses and sector addresses to these tracks and sectors, making it possible to store a large amount of information.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of tracks and sectors shown in FIG. 4, and as shown in the figure, for example,
Tracks 0. ) Rack 1. Track 2.・・・・・・・・・
A directory area for managing file data recorded on this disk-shaped recording medium is provided in track 0 (23), and the area after track 1 is designated as a file area.

The directory set in track 0 (23) includes the label name (label ID), file name, record length (maximum number of characters per block), BOE address (address of the first sector of the file), and EOE address (the address of the file's first sector). final address), bypass indicator (data transfer instruction), write protection indicator, multiple volume indicator ('4IE
The information includes information such as the presence or absence of a new disc), the EOD address (the final address of entry data), and is information for managing and identifying the recording medium. Therefore, information (file data) recorded on tracks (24) after track 1 is accessed according to the directory of track 0 (23).

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In the above conventional technology, for example, when reading data recorded in a file area, the head is first moved to the directory area to find the corresponding track number and sector number, and then the head is moved to the directory area to find the corresponding track number and sector number. The head is moved to read out the required data (information).

For this reason, there was a problem in that the overall access time in °C increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a composite memory device that solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, shortens access time, and further improves the advantages of large-capacity memory using a disk-shaped recording medium. do.

(Means for Solving the Problems) - The H-Kihyaku method is to incorporate a rewritable non-volatile semiconductor memory into a memory using a disc-shaped recording medium, and to store the directory information in this semiconductor memory. achieved.

The access time of semiconductor memory is usually several tens of nanoseconds
The access time is 1 to several 100 nSec, which is significantly faster than the access time of a memory using a disc-shaped recording medium such as a magnetic disk or an optical disk, which requires mechanical movement of the head and seek time to find the recording position of information. In a memory using a disk-shaped recording medium, in order to access the directory area, a head movement and a directory reading procedure are always required, which takes about 100 m5ec.

Requires.

Therefore, if at least the contents of the above-mentioned directories are stored in a semiconductor memory with a short access time and the file area is managed accordingly, the overall access time can be significantly speeded up.

[Effect]

By shortening the access time of the directory area, the access time of a memory using a large-capacity disk-shaped storage medium can be significantly accelerated.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the composite memory device of the present invention, in which 1 is a storage body, 2 is a shutter, 3 is a recessed portion, and 4
5 is a hole for opening a head access hole, 5 is a hub opening, 6 is a hub, and 7 is a terminal.

What is shown in the figure is a 3.5-inch micro floppy disk cartridge, which is a type of so-called floppy disk, which uses a magnetic disk as a disc-shaped recording medium. An opening 5 is provided in the center of the storage body 1 to expose a hub 6 fixed to the center of the disk.
When this disk cartridge is installed in a disk drive, the disk is rotated via the hub 6.

Further, a shutter 2 that slides within the recess 3 is attached to both sides of one end of the storage body 1 in order to open and close a recess 3 and a head access port opened in the recess 3. A hole 4 for opening a head access hole is formed in a part of the shutter 2, and the hole 4 substantially coincides with the head access opening when the shutter performs the opening operation of the head access opening.

Furthermore, a terminal 7 is provided on a part of the outer edge of the storage body 1 for connecting a built-in semiconductor memory, which will be described later, to an external device (hereinafter referred to as a disk drive) for transmitting and receiving signals.

The above is a description of the appearance of the composite memory device of this embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion surrounded by a dashed line in FIG. 1, in which the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 correspond to the same portions, 8 is a terminal opening, and 11 is a semiconductor memory.

In the figure, the semiconductor memory installed according to the present invention is built in a semiconductor storage section 11 provided in a part of a disk cartridge storage body 1, and the signal wiring drawn out from the semiconductor memory is connected to the outer edge of the storage body 1. It is connected to a terminal 7 provided in a terminal opening 8 formed in a part of the terminal.

This terminal 7 is connected to a connector terminal provided on the disk drive side when the disk cartridge is installed in the disk drive, and its position is not necessarily limited to the position shown in the figure.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of part A indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 1, and the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 and 2 correspond to the same parts.
9 is a rewritable nonvolatile semiconductor memory, 10 is a wiring board, and 12 is a disk.

In the same figure, the disc cartridge storage body l has
A disk 12 indicated by a two-dot chain line is housed. The semiconductor memory has a semiconductor memory chip 9 on its wiring board 10.
Then, if necessary, a backup battery (not shown) is mounted, and the semiconductor storage part 11 of the storage body 1 is placed in a position where the terminal 7 formed on the board 10 is exposed to the terminal opening 8.
Fixedly stored inside.

This semiconductor storage section 11 is provided at a position R that avoids the disk 12 stored in the disk cartridge storage body 1, but its position is not limited to the location shown in the figure, and when the disk cartridge is installed in a disk drive. Any position may be sufficient as long as it can be connected to a connector terminal provided on the disk drive side.

When the composite memory device configured as described above is installed in a disk drive designed to be compatible with this composite memory device, the disk drive first responds to a data read command from the host computer, for example, as described above. It operates by accessing a directory stored in a semiconductor memory, moving the head to the corresponding track recognized by the access, and accessing data in the corresponding sector.

Therefore, the access time required for track access and sector access is significantly shortened compared to the time required for accessing a track in a conventional directory area. Therefore, the access time as a disk memory is the track access time of the file area, and the overall access time becomes much shorter.

Although the above description is about an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a 3.5-inch micro-floppy disk cartridge, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is not limited to this. The shape of the terminal,
For example, by using a contact type as used in IC cards, 5.25 inch mini floppy disks, 8
It can also be applied to inch floppy disks.

Next, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an optical disk cartridge will be described.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an optical disk cartridge showing another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a front view thereof, in which the disk cartridge has a cartridge case 30 made of synthetic resin.
It basically consists of a disc-shaped recording medium 31 rotatably housed within this cartridge case 30, and a shutter 32 formed by bending a thin metal plate into a U-shape.

The cartridge case 30 consists of an upper case 30-1 and a lower case 30-2, and these two cases are joined together using a plurality of screws to accommodate the recording medium 31 and other necessary components. A space is formed. Also,
A head access opening 33 is formed on the surface of the cartridge case 30 to allow the head to access the stored recording medium 31. A shutter 32 normally closes this head access opening 33 to protect the recording medium. ing.

This shutter 32 is formed by bending a thin metal plate made of stainless steel or the like into a U-shape, and has an insert on its front surface that engages with a slider (not shown) for opening and closing the shutter to open and close the shutter. An inner protrusion 36 is formed with a hole 34 and engages with a guide groove 35 that guides the shutter in the lateral direction in the figure.
is formed. As shown in FIG. 4, the shutter 32 is normally (when not in use) held by a spring member (not shown) in a position where it closes the head access opening 33 and the spindle hole 36 in which the spindle on the disk drive side engages. There is.

The disc-shaped recording medium 31 is made of an optical disc with optical information recorded on both sides, and is normally housed in the case in a non-rotating state, and is mounted on the disc drive and activated by a mechanism (not shown) at the same time as the shutter is opened. be made rotatable.

Although the general structure of the optical disk cartridge has been described above, the details of this type of optical disk cartridge are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 150963/1983 filed by the applicant of the present invention, and therefore detailed explanation will be omitted.

The present invention incorporates a rewritable non-volatile semiconductor memory in the optical disc cartridge as described above, and stores directory information for accessing information on the optical disc in the semiconductor memory, as shown in FIG. Fifth
As shown in the figure, when the optical disk cartridge is installed in the disk drive at a position within the cartridge case 30 of the optical disk cartridge, avoiding the optical disk 31 and other housing parts, and when the optical disk cartridge is installed in the disk drive, A semiconductor memory 37 having a terminal 38 that can be connected to the connector at a position corresponding to the connector installed in the connector.
It has a built-in

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the optical disk cartridge shown in FIG. 4, viewed from the direction indicated by the arrow.

The same symbols as in FIG. 5 correspond to the same parts.

In the figure, a terminal 38 is provided at the front end of the optical disk cartridge in the direction in which the disk drive is installed, in a position that avoids the shutter movement area. or, if necessary, transmit information from the host computer to a built-in semiconductor memory.

As described in the previous embodiment, this semiconductor memory 37 stores so-called directory information such as data for accessing information in a file area recorded on an optical disc or identification data for unused tracks. Ru.

With this configuration, the access time of the optical disc is almost the same as the access time of the file area, and the overall access time is much shorter than that of a conventional optical disc.

Note that in the above explanation, the built-in semiconductor memory is a rewritable memory, but if the optical disk itself is limited to so-called read-only, this semiconductor memory may also be read-only. can.

The semiconductor memory used in each of the embodiments described above can be a well-known semiconductor device in which an IC memory chip and an MPU are appropriately combined, and a backup battery may be incorporated as necessary.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the present invention, a semiconductor memory having a high-speed access time is attached to a memory using a disk-shaped recording medium, and a directory for file management is stored in this semiconductor memory. By doing so, it is possible to configure a memory with a large capacity and short access time, and it is possible to provide a composite memory device with excellent functions by eliminating the drawbacks of the above-mentioned prior art.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged perspective view of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a front view thereof, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view seen from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 4, FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the format of a conventional disk-shaped memory, and FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of tracks and sectors in FIG. 7. 1...Disk cartridge storage body, 2
・・・・・・・・・Shutter, 3・・・・・・Recess, 4・・・・・・Hole for opening head access hole,
5・・・・・・・・・Hub opening, 6・・・・・・・・・
Hub, 7...Terminal, 8...
・Terminal opening, 9... Semiconductor memory chip, 10... Wiring board, 11...
...Semiconductor storage unit, 12...Disk, 20゜21...Track, 23...
......Directory area, 24...
...File area. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 8--Ichihan Tosekiguchi Wholesale Figure 3 Figure 5

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A disk-shaped recording medium that has a large number of recording tracks and is capable of reading information recorded on the recording tracks or writing/reading information to and from the recording tracks, and this disk-shaped recording medium. A rewritable semiconductor memory is provided in a part of the storage body that avoids the disc-shaped recording medium, and a rewritable semiconductor memory is provided in a part of the outer edge of the storage body. A composite memory device characterized by being provided with a terminal for transmitting and receiving signals between the memory and an external device. (2) A composite memory device according to claim (1), characterized in that a magnetic disk is used as the disc-shaped recording medium. (3) A composite memory device according to claim (1), characterized in that an optical disk is used as the disc-shaped recording medium.