WO2005064475A1

WO2005064475A1 - Data processing apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2005064475A1
Application number: PCT/CN2004/001563
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wensheng Huang; Qibao Deng; Xiaohua Cheng
Original assignee: Netac Technology Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2003-12-31
Filing date: 2004-12-29
Publication date: 2005-07-14
Also published as: CN100501634C; CN1635438A

Abstract

This invention provides a data processing apparatus that can be connected to peripheral devices or host systems to process the exchange of data and signals; it can also be used separately for collecting, playing and processing of the signals. The apparatus comprises a memory unit which uses a MRAM as a memory media, an interface unit, a user interface unit, a controlling unit, a power unit and an application function unit. Employing the data processing apparatus and data processing method of the invention realizes the data processing of high speed and high efficiency for the data processing apparatus and improves the data security as well as the function and the facility of the system.

Description

Data processing device TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the field of data storage, and in particular, to a data grid processing device using MRAM media for data storage. Background technique

At present, in the field of portable digital data that requires mobile data storage, most data processing devices, such as mobile storage, MP3 players, digital voice recorders, etc., mostly use flash storage media, especially NAND-type flash storage media as Its storage device.

However, due to defects in the structure and working mechanism of the flash storage medium, the performance of the data processing device using the flash storage medium is affected. Specifically, there are the following aspects:

―, The access speed is slow

Flash storage media cannot achieve random access. Its complicated data access mechanism keeps the data access speed at a low level and cannot meet the needs of convenient mobile storage of large amounts of data;

Second, short service life

The average write times of a flash storage medium is only 1 million times, and its complicated data access mechanism requires a large number of additional erase operations on the flash storage medium, which will greatly reduce its service life;

Third, the data security is low

If the flash storage medium is inserted or removed by mistake or suddenly powered off during operation, it is very easy to lose data and even cause 7-year damage to the medium.

Magnetoresistive random access memory (hereinafter referred to as MRAM) is a non-volatile magnetic storage mediator. It was first proposed in the early 1980s and has been developed again in recent years.

MRAM has many advantages such as random access, unlimited high-speed read and write, low power consumption, and easy embedded design that flash storage media does not have. In addition, MRAM also has the advantages of short delay time, instant switching on and off, and prolonging the battery life of portable digital devices, and reading and writing circuit cartridges.

The performance comparison table between MRAM and the existing storage shields is as follows:

Nonvolatile Random Access Read Speed Write Times Chip Area Embedded Design Specifications Power Consumption

Flash Yes No Take 1 million Minimum Medium Consumption

Low yield

SRAM None Yes Second Fastest Max.

Medium speed

DRAM None Area Design Specification

Yes Medium Large High Consumption

(50-100NS) unlimited times

Highest performance, no need

MRAM Yes Yes Take small and low power

(25 ~ 100NS) increase chip area It can be seen that MRAM as a new storage medium not only has most of the advantages of flash storage media, but also overcomes many inherent shortcomings of flash storage media. Therefore, the use of MRAM instead of a flash storage medium as the storage medium of a data processing device will bring a leap in performance of the data processing device. Summary of the invention

In view of various defects of the foregoing data processing device using flash storage media for data storage, the object of the present invention is to provide a data processing device using magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) as a storage medium.

In order to achieve the foregoing object of the present invention, according to an aspect of the present invention, a data processing device is provided. The device includes: a storage unit configured to store user data and other data; and an interface unit configured to communicate with an external device or a host. The system performs connection and data exchange; a user interface unit configured to receive a user operation instruction or feedback information to a user; a control unit connected to the above unit and configured to control and coordinate work among the units of the data processing device, and Data processing and information exchange with external equipment; characterized in that the storage unit uses magnetoresistive random access memory as a storage medium, and the control unit is provided with firmware corresponding to the storage unit, and is used for The access operation to the storage unit using the magnetoresistive random access memory as the storage medium is controlled.

By adopting the data processing device provided by the present invention, the multiple superior performances of the MRAM medium are used to improve the existing data processing devices with storage functions, such as low read and write speeds, limited life, and insecure data, and greatly improve data processing by the data processing device. The performance of the processing operation will increase the use value of the data processing device and expand its application range. Brief description of the drawings

FIG. 1 is a structural block diagram of a data processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a circuit principle of a data processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a flowchart of realizing connection and data operation with a host according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a schematic flowchart of executing a specific data operation instruction according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 5 is a flowchart of another embodiment of the present invention Structure block diagram of the data processing device. detailed description

Through the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will more easily understand the idea and essence of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention is a data processing device using MRAM as a storage medium. The data processing device 100 includes: a storage unit 30, configured to store user data and system data; an interface unit 20, configured to communicate with External device or host system for connection and data exchange; User interface unit 50. It is used to receive user operation instructions or feedback information to the user. The control unit 10 is connected to other units and is used to control and coordinate the work between the units of the data processing device for data processing and information exchange. Power supply unit 40, configured to provide working power to the data processing device.

The interface unit 20 of the data processing apparatus 100 may include one or more data interfaces connected to an external device or a host system, for connecting and exchanging data with one or more external devices or a host system. The external device may be a handheld device, a communication device, a digital device, a computer peripheral, or other special equipment; the host system may be a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a server, or a special machine.

Through the interface unit 20, the data processing device 100 can exchange and dump system information or data stored in the storage unit 30 with various external devices or the host system.

The data interface between the data processing apparatus 100 and each external device or host system should use an interface standard corresponding to each external device or host system. The interface unit 20 responds to inquiries issued by the external device or the host system according to the standard method of the interface standard protocol, interprets, converts, controls, and transmits various control information and data between the external device or the host system and the data processing device 100 Information to realize the connection and data exchange between the data processing device and external equipment or the host system. In this embodiment, the interface unit 20 is implemented using a USB standard interface. When the USB standard is used as a data interface, a USB-OTG mechanism may be introduced. The data processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment may be used as a master device, and may also be used as a slave device to connect and exchange data with an external device or a host system. The slave device status can be exchanged according to the general settings or user settings.

The user interface unit 50 may include a button, a knob, a slider, a display screen, an indicator light, a speaker, a headset, etc. (not shown in FIG. 1). The keys, knobs, and sliders are used to receive the user's operation instructions on the data processing device, and the display screen, indicator lights, Bluetooth, and / or headphones can be used to feed back system information, status information, or instruction execution results to the user. In this embodiment, an indicator light is used to implement the function of the user interface unit, that is, only information is fed back to the user.

The control unit 10 of the data processing device 100 may be composed of one or more integrated circuit chips, and a file system for managing and operating data files in the storage space and complying with the corresponding operating system specifications is preset; The storage unit 30 implements firmware for data access processing. The control unit 10 is used to control the work of other units in the data processing device and perform data processing.

The power supply unit 40 of the data processing device may be an external DC power supply, a built-in battery, or a power supply through an interface unit 20 connected to an external device or a host system. This embodiment adopts a USB interface power supply method.

This embodiment uses the Ht2115 chip U0 to implement the functions of the control unit 100 and the interface unit 20, and uses the Cy9c62256 chip to implement the functions of the storage unit.

In terms of hardware, since the flash storage medium chip used by the existing data processing device uses a serial interface bus to exchange data with the control unit, there are only I / O 0-7 eight lines connected between the storage medium chip and the control unit. The control unit The address, data, and command in the instruction of the storage medium chip are sent through these 8 lines, and the storage medium chip analyzes and executes the operation result of the storage chip and the response letter. The information is also returned to the control unit by these 8 lines. The MRAM chip Ht2115 used in this embodiment exchanges data with the control unit in a parallel manner. Therefore, this embodiment has an innovative design of the hardware circuit connection and data transmission method of the data processing device. The details are as follows:

In the data processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the circuit principle of the chip U0 is shown in FIG. 2A. In terms of connection with the USB signal, the interface unit 20 of the data processing device includes a USB connector CN0, and the chip U0 is connected to a USB interface of an external device or a host system through the USB connector CN0. The connector CN0 leads to four wires, which respectively correspond to the two data wires USBD + and USBD- of the USB interface, a ground wire and a USB-VBUS power line. Among them, two data lines USBD + and USBD- are electrically connected to pins 58 and 59 of chip U0 respectively; a power line USB- BUS is introduced into U0 via 55 pins to provide working power for U0; a USB-GN ground lead from CN0 Ground together with some ground pins in chip U0.

In terms of connection with the memory chip U1, a total of 15 pins of 11, 13 ~ 21, 23, 25 ~ 28 of U0 are electrically connected to the AO ~ A14 data lines of the memory chip U1 for data transmission; 111 of U0 A total of 8 pins, 113, 115-120 are electrically connected to the D0 ~ D7 address lines of the memory chip U1, respectively, to transmit address signals. The chip select CE0 pin of U0 is electrically connected to the chip select CE pin 20 of the memory chip U1.

In terms of control signals, the RD and WR pins of U0 are electrically connected to the OE and WE terminals of U1, respectively. A micro switch is connected to the 96 pin of U0 as a reset (RESET) switch. Through this switch, the user can reset the U0 chip.

In addition, in this embodiment, a light emitting diode is used as an indicator light, and the working state of the data processing device is reflected to the user through the light emitting diode. The light-emitting diode D1 is electrically connected to the 53 pin of U0, and is controlled by U0.

Referring to FIG. 2B, a schematic circuit diagram of a single memory chip as a storage medium is shown in this embodiment.

As shown in the figure, the A0 and A14 pins of the memory chip U1 are electrically connected to the corresponding pins of the control chip U0, and the D0 ~ D7 pins of U1 are electrically connected to the corresponding pins of U0 respectively; the chip select CE line of U1 and U0 The chip select CE0 pin is electrically connected; the OE and WE signal lines are connected to the RD and WR pins of U0, respectively.

Of course, the memory unit in this embodiment may be composed of multiple memory chips. FIG. 2C shows a circuit schematic diagram when the eight Cy9c62256 chips U2 to U9 are used to implement the memory unit function.

As shown in FIG. 2C, A0 ~ A14 of each chip of U2 U9 are electrically connected to corresponding pins of the control chip U0, and D0 ~ D7 pins of each chip are electrically connected to corresponding pins of U0; chip selection CE of each chip The line is electrically connected to the chip select CE0 pins CE0 ~ CE7 of U0; the OE and WE signal lines of each chip are connected to the R and WR pins of U0, respectively.

Of course, those skilled in the art know that certain types of MRAM storage products use serial interfaces, and the circuit connection between the control chip and the storage chip can be redesigned according to the specific chip specifications, and the data exchange method and instruction transmission method are also Modifications can be made, and the principle is similar to this embodiment. The following uses a data processing device as a data storage device (such as a mobile hard disk) to connect to a host as an example to describe the workflow of the data processing device 100 in the above embodiment. The operation of the data processing device in this workflow can be implemented by the above-mentioned firmware in its control unit. S3 shows a flowchart of the connection between the data processing device 100 and the host and the data operation in this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the user connects the data processing device to the corresponding interface of the host through the interface unit 20.

(Step 301). The corresponding interface of the host detects the access of the device and supplies power to the accessed data processing device

(Step 302).

Then, the host sends an inquiry instruction to the data processing device to inquire the descriptor of the mobile data processing device. The data processing apparatus acquires a device descriptor from the control unit 10 according to the inquiry instruction. The device descriptor contains a flag indicating that the data processing device allows one or more drive letters. The data processing device returns the device descriptor to the host (step 303). After receiving the descriptor, the host assigns a logical address to the data processing device (step 304).

Next, the host sends a query command again to query the configuration, endpoint, and interface descriptor of the mobile storage device. The data processing device reads the descriptor from the controller and returns it to the host according to the query command (step 305). The descriptor contains information that supports the maximum number of logical units (ΙΛΙΝ), that is, a flag of how many drive letters are required to be generated. The host performs a face check on the returned descriptor to check whether the descriptor conforms to the specification (step 306). If it does not conform to the specification, it is forbidden to configure the data processing device. Before returning to the first query of the descriptor, the inquiry is performed again (step 307). ,). If the descriptor obtained for the third time still does not meet the specifications, the query is stopped and the configuration of the data processing device is no longer performed.

If the descriptor conforms to the specification, the host sends an instruction to the data processing device to allow the device to be configured (step 307), and starts a series of configuration operations on the data processing device:

The host sends an inquiry instruction to inquire about the information of the data processing device (step 308). The information may include the device manufacturer name, product name, etc .; the host starts the corresponding device driver, selects the interface, end point (pipe), and determines the transmission method. These operations performed by the host are the prior art and not the work involved in the present invention, so they will not be described again. The data processing device responds to the inquiry instruction and returns the above information (step 309). The host allocates one or more drive letters to the data processing device according to the requirements of the data processing device (step 310). So far, the process of identifying and configuring the data processing device by the host is complete.

Next, the host sends an operation instruction to the data processing device (step 311). After receiving the operation instruction (step 312), the controller of the data processing device interprets and executes the instruction (step 313), and returns the instruction execution result, system information, operation data, etc. to the host (step 314). Repeat the above process to execute the operation instruction, and determine whether the user removes or closes the data processing device (step 315).

After the host receives a signal from the user to remove and close the data processing device, the host or the data processing device completes all operational tasks (step 316), at which time the data processing device is disconnected from the host and the entire process ends.

In the above flow, the basic operation instructions for the data processing device 100 as a data storage device There are read data, write data, and format operations. For different types of operations, the execution process of the data processing device is different. FIG. 4 shows a specific execution flow of the data operation instruction, which is described in detail with reference to FIG. 4 as follows: 'After receiving the operation command sent from the host, the data processing device 100 interprets the operation command (step 401) and according to the type of operation command, A different branch is selected for processing (step 402).

For the read data operation instruction, the data in the specified address in the storage unit 30 needs to be read out. The control unit 10 of the data processing device 100 reads the specified data from the storage unit 30 (step 403), and determines whether the read operation is successful. (Step 404). If the reading is successful, the data is returned to the host (step 405); otherwise, the operation failure information is returned to the host (step 406).

For the write data operation instruction, data needs to be written to the designated address of the storage unit 30, and the control unit 10 of the data processing device 100 writes the data to the designated address of the storage unit 30 (step 407), and according to the completion of the operation (step 408) A data write success message (step 409) or a failure message (step 410) is returned to the host.

For the formatting operation instruction, the control unit 10 of the data processing device 100 performs a formatting operation on the storage unit 30 according to the file system specification (step 411), and returns a formatting success message to the host according to the operation completion status (step 412) (step 413) ) Or failure message (step 414).

On the basis of the above method, the data processing device 100 can also be improved and auxiliary functions can be expanded. For example, a user may specify a drive letter for the data processing device 100, establish an identity authentication mechanism, support multiple users, data encryption and decryption, and an encoding / decoding mechanism, etc., and may be implemented by using various existing technologies. For example, the data processing device 100 is provided with an encryption and decryption mechanism, and the data stored in the storage unit 30 may optionally be encrypted according to a preset encryption and decryption mechanism; and the data read from the storage unit 30 is decrypted.

The connection between the data processing apparatus 100 and other external devices and the data processing operation method are the same as the above-mentioned connection with the host and the data processing method.

Obviously, the data processing device of the present invention is not limited to being used as a data storage device, but can be used in electronic equipment that needs to be able to reliably store a large amount of data, such as digital recordings and players. In this case, the data processing device can perform operations according to user instructions alone without connecting with other external devices to complete the functions required by the user. FIG. 5 shows a data processing apparatus 100 using MRAM as a storage medium according to another embodiment of the present invention. The difference from the data processing device 100 in the first embodiment is that the data processing device 100 further includes an application function unit 60 for implementing other application functions of the data processing device.

The interface unit 20 of the data processing apparatus 100 in this embodiment may include one or more digital or analog interfaces connected to an external device or host system, for connecting with one or more external devices or host systems, exchanging digital information, or Analog signal.

The external device may be a handheld device, a communication device, a digital device, a computer peripheral or other special equipment, and may also be a VCD, SVCD or DVD player and a video recorder, a video camera, a sound, etc .; The host system may be a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a server, or a dedicated host.

Through the digital interface of the interface unit 20, the data processing device 100 can exchange and dump system information or data stored in the storage unit 30 with various external devices or host systems. The digital interface is selected from CF, SM, MMC, SD, MS, MD, XD, PCMCIA, PCI, MI IPCL CARDBUS interfaces, and may also include USB, IEEE 1394 serial ATA, IDE / SCSI, and HiperLAN, Bluetooth, IrDA Red Xibu, HomeRF, IEEE802.11x, IEEE802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11d, 802.11.g, 802.15, 802.16, 802.3, RS232, RS485, USB—OTG, UWB, GPIO, UART interfaces, and can also include GSM, GPRS > One or more of CDMA, 2.75G, 3G interface and parallel interface.

Through the analog interface of the interface unit 20, the data processing device can exchange and process analog signals with various external devices or host systems.

The analog interface includes, but is not limited to, an AUDIO input and output terminal interface, a VIDEO input and output terminal interface, and / or an S terminal interface.

In this embodiment, the interface unit 20 includes two interfaces, namely, an IEE1394 interface and a standard audio interface.

The user interface unit 50 may include a button, a knob, a slider, a joystick, a touch screen, a tablet, a remote control, a mouse, or a trackball; it may also be a voice input device that recognizes a voice signal to generate a user operation instruction; It may also include a display screen, indicator light, speakers, headphones, stereo or buzzer, etc. (not shown in Figure 6). The keys, knobs, and sliders are used to receive the user's operation instructions on the data processing device, especially the application function unit 60, and the display screen and indicator light are used to give the user this time image information, system information, status information, or instruction execution Result information. The "Yihe" and / or the headset returns audio information system information, status information, or instruction execution result information to the user. The user interface unit 50 in this embodiment may be implemented by using buttons, sliders, display screens, indicators, and headphones. .

The control unit 10 of the data processing device 100, may be composed of one or more integrated circuit chips for controlling the work of other units in the data processing device and performing data processing. The presets are useful for managing and operating data files in the storage space, and a file system that conforms to the specifications of the corresponding operating system; it also includes firmware that implements data access and processing.

The power supply unit 40 of the data processing device may be an external DC power supply, a built-in battery, or a power supply through an interface unit 20 connected to an external device or a host system. The power supply unit 40 in this embodiment adopts a built-in battery power supply mode.

The above-mentioned application function unit 60 may be used to implement functions such as audio playback, recording, recording, video, encryption and decryption, file management, network connection, and the like, and its internal composition may be implemented using existing technologies. The application function unit 60 is connected to the control unit 10, receives control from the control unit 10, and can perform data exchange with other units of the data processing apparatus 100, according to the present invention. In one embodiment, the used functional unit 60 is a digital recording and playback device. The application function unit 60 can be powered by the power supply unit 40 or can be powered separately by an external power source and a built-in battery.

This embodiment is similar to the previous embodiment in terms of the connection with the external device or the host system and the workflow of information processing.

That is, after the user connects the data processing device to the corresponding interface of the external device or host system through one or more interfaces of the interface unit, the external device or host system identifies and configures the data processing device; the external device or host system sends data to the data The processing device issues an operation instruction; or the user directly issues an operation instruction to the data processing device through the user interface unit 50. The data processing device interprets and executes the instruction, and returns the instruction execution result, system information, and operation data to the external device, the host system, or the user directly through the user interface unit. Repeat the above process to execute user instructions until the user issues an end instruction, removes, stops power supply, or shuts down the data processing device.

The data processing device of this embodiment can be used alone without any external equipment or host system. In the case of single use, after the data processing device is powered on or powered on, it performs configuration and initialization work, and waits to receive the operation instruction issued by the user through the user interface unit 50, execute the above operation instruction, and return the operation result and system information until the user closes The data processing device may stop supplying power.

During the execution of specific operation instructions, the control unit parses the operation instructions, decomposes the complex operation instructions into a set of operation instructions for a single unit, and executes them separately. For example, if the user requires recording through the application function unit 60 and stores the audio signal in the storage unit 30, the controller will control the application function unit 60, the storage unit 30, and the user interface unit 50 to coordinate and coordinate the work: The application function unit (digital Recording and playback device) 60 performs sound signal collection and conversion operations; storage unit 30 performs audio data storage operations; and user interface unit 50 feeds back system information and operation completion information to the user; thus completing more complex recording storage instructions .

The above is an exemplary description of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can understand that the specific implementation scheme of the data processing device and data processing method used in the present invention is not unique; the external device or host system identifies and configures the data processing device. The execution steps of specific operation instructions are not unique, and can be adjusted using existing technologies. The settings of the application function unit, interface unit, and user interface unit are also not unique; the firmware, drivers, and file systems preset for the data processing device, as well as drive letter assignment, encryption policies, and identity authentication mechanisms can also use a variety of known Technology. Various modifications to the technical solution of the present invention without departing from the idea of the present invention will fall into the reserved scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

Rights request:

1. A data processing device, the device comprising:

The interface unit (20) is used for connection and data exchange with external equipment or the host system; the storage unit (30) is used for storing user data and system data;

A control unit (10), connected to each of the above units, for controlling and coordinating operations between the units of the data processing device, and for controlling data processing and information exchange with external equipment,

It is characterized in that the storage unit (30) uses a magnetoresistive random access memory as a storage medium, and the control unit (10) has a curing device corresponding to the storage unit (30), and the curing software is used for For controlling access operations to the storage unit.

2. The data processing device according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface unit (50) for receiving a user operation instruction or feedback information to the user; the user interface unit (50) is a button, a knob , Slider, touch screen, tablet, remote control, mouse, trackball and voice input device, and / or one of display screen, indicator light, speaker, earphone, stereo and buzzer Or more.

The data processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (10) is connected to a reset switch, and through this switch, the user can reset the control unit (10).

The data processing device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit (30) comprises one or more storage chips.

The data processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an application function unit (60) for completing a corresponding operation according to a user operation instruction transmitted by the user interface unit. Operating functions.

6. The data processing device according to claim 5, wherein the operation function comprises one or more of the following functions: audio playback, recording, video recording, playback, encryption and decryption, data management, network connection .

The data processing device according to claim 6, characterized in that the interface unit (20) comprises a digital interface for connecting system information in the control unit (10) or data stored in the storage unit 30 with external data. Equipment for swapping or dumping, the digital interfaces include CF, SM, MMC, SD, MS, MD, XD, PCMCIA ^ PCL MINIPCL CARDBUS interfaces, including USB, IEEE 1394, Serial ATA, IDE / SCSI, and HiperLAN, Bluetooth, IrDA Redox, HomeRF, IEEE802.11x, IEEE802.11a, 802.11b, 802. lid. 802.11.g, 802.15, S02.16, 8023, RS232, RS485, USB OTG, UWB, GPIO UART interface, and One or more of GSM, GPRS, CDMA, 2.75G, 3G interface and parallel interface.

8. The data processing device according to claim 6, wherein the interface unit (20) comprises an analog interface for enabling the data processing device to exchange and process analog signals with external equipment. The analog interface is one or more of the following types: AUDIO input / output terminal interface, VIDEO input / output terminal interface and / or S terminal interface.

9. The data processing device according to claim 1, wherein the data processing device adopts a master / slave device mechanism as a master device or a slave device for connection and data exchange with an external device or a host system, and the master device The slave device status can be interchanged according to system settings or user settings.

The data processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the data stored in the storage unit (30) is data that has been encrypted, encoded or transformed.