ARCHITECTURE FOR DATA STORAGE SYSTEMS

• US 20100091399A1
• Filed: 10/15/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Yoon, Tony, Au, Siu-Hung Fred
• Granted Patent: US 8,706,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/55
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1673 using buffers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0656 Data buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0673 Single storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 5/12 Means for monitoring the fill level; Means for resolving contention, i.e. conflicts between simultaneous enqueue and dequeue operations

Abstract

A system includes N first-in first-out (FIFO) modules, a buffer manager module, and N input/output (I/O) modules, where N is an integer greater than 1. The buffer manager module retrieves a set of N data units from a buffer and outputs the set of N data units to the N FIFO modules in parallel at a time, respectively. The N I/O modules receive the set of N data units from the N FIFOs in parallel, respectively, and output the N data units to a medium.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

N first-in first-out (FIFO) modules, where N is an integer greater than 1;

a buffer manager module that retrieves a set of N data units from a buffer and that outputs the set of N data units to the N FIFO modules in parallel at a time, respectively; and

N input/output (I/O) modules that receive the set of N data units from the N FIFOs in parallel, respectively, and that output the N data units to a medium.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

an encoder module that encodes data received from a host and that generates encoded data; and

a buffer FIFO module that receives the encoded data and that outputs the encoded data to the buffer manager module,

wherein the buffer manager module stores the encoded data in the buffer, and wherein the encoded data includes the set of N data units.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the encoder module encodes the data using an error correcting code (ECC).

4. The system of claim 2 further comprising:

a host interface module that receives the data from the host; and

a host FIFO module that receives the data from the host interface module and that outputs the data to the encoder module.

5. The system of claim 2 further comprising a control module that outputs a control signal to the host when the encoded data is stored in the buffer, wherein the control signal indicates that the data received from the host is output to the medium.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of N data units is a first set, wherein the time is a first time, and wherein:

the N I/O modules receive a second set of N data units from the medium and output the second set of N data units to the N FIFO modules in parallel, respectively; and

the N FIFO modules output the second set of N data units to the buffer manager module in parallel at a second time, respectively; and

the buffer manager module stores the second set of N data units in the buffer.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising:

a buffer FIFO module that receives the second set of N data units from the buffer manager module and that outputs the second set of N data units;

a decoder module that receives the second set of N data units from the buffer FIFO module, that decodes the second set of N data units, and that generates decoded data;

a host FIFO module that receives the decoded data from the decoder module and that outputs the decoded data; and

a host interface module that receives the decoded data from the host FIFO module and that outputs the decoded data to a host.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the decoder module decodes the second set of N data units using an error correcting code (ECC).

9. A hard disk controller (HDC) comprising the system of claim 1, wherein the HDC controls a hard disk drive (HDD), wherein the N I/O modules include N read channel modules, respectively, and wherein the medium includes a magnetic medium of the HDD.

10. A memory controller comprising the system of claim 1, wherein the memory controller controls a solid-state disk (SSD), wherein the N I/O modules include N read channel modules, respectively, and wherein the medium includes nonvolatile memory of the SSD.

11. A communication device comprising the system of claim 1, wherein the communication device communicates with the medium via the N I/O modules, wherein the N I/O modules include N transceivers, respectively, and wherein the medium includes one of a wireline and a wireless medium.

12. A system comprising:

N input/output (I/O) modules that receive a set of N data units from a medium and that output the set of N data units in parallel, respectively, where N is an integer greater than 1;

N first-in first-out (FIFO) modules that receive the set of N data units in parallel and that output the set of N data units in parallel at a time, respectively; and

a buffer manager module that receives the set of N data units and that stores the set of N data units in a buffer.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a buffer FIFO module that receives the set of N data units from the buffer manager module and that outputs the set of N data units;

a decoder module that receives the set of N data units from the buffer FIFO module, that decodes the set of N data units, and that generates decoded data;

a host FIFO module that receives the decoded data from the decoder module and that outputs the decoded data; and

a host interface module that receives the decoded data from the host FIFO module and that outputs the decoded data to a host.

14. A method comprising:

retrieving a set of N data units from a buffer, where N is an integer greater than 1;

outputting the set of N data units to N first-in first-out (FIFO) modules in parallel at a time, respectively;

receiving the set of N data units from the N FIFOs in parallel at N input/output (I/O) modules, respectively;

outputting the N data units from the N I/O modules to a medium.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving data from a host;

generating encoded data by encoding the data, wherein the encoded data includes the set of N data units;

receiving the encoded data at a buffer FIFO module;

outputting the encoded data from the buffer FIFO module to a buffer manager module; and

storing the encoded data in the buffer.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the set of N data units is a first set, wherein the time is a first time, the method further comprising:

receiving a second set of N data units from the medium at the N I/O modules;

outputting the second set of N data units from the N I/O modules to the N FIFO modules in parallel, respectively; and

outputting the second set of N data units from the N FIFO modules to the buffer manager module in parallel at a second time, respectively; and

storing the second set of N data units in the buffer.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

receiving the second set of N data units at a buffer FIFO module from the buffer manager module;

outputting the second set of N data units from a buffer FIFO module;

receiving the second set of N data units from the buffer FIFO module;

generating decoded data by decoding the second set of N data units;

receiving the decoded data at a host FIFO module;

outputting the decoded data from the host FIFO module;

receiving the decoded data from the host FIFO module at a host interface module; and

outputting the decoded data from the host interface module to a host.

18. A method comprising:

receiving a set of N data units from a medium at N input/output (I/O) modules, where N is an integer greater than 1;

outputting the set of N data units in parallel from the N I/O modules, respectively;

receiving the set of N data units in parallel at N first-in first-out (FIFO) modules;

outputting the set of N data units in parallel at a time from the N FIFO modules, respectively; and

receiving the set of N data units at a buffer manager module; and

storing the set of N data units in a buffer.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

receiving the set of N data units from the buffer manager module at a buffer FIFO module;

outputting the set of N data units from the buffer FIFO module;

receiving the set of N data units from the buffer FIFO module;

generating decoded data by decoding the set of N data units;

receiving the decoded data from the decoder module at a host FIFO module;

outputting the decoded data from the host FIFO module; and

receiving the decoded data from the host FIFO module at a host interface module; and

outputting the decoded from the host interface module to a host.