Power Inrush Management of Storage Devices

• US 20150153800A1
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Published: 06/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jpmorgan Chase Bank NA As The Agent
• Original Assignee: SanDisk Enterprise IP LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Lucas, Gregg S., Delpapa, Kenneth B., Ellis, Robert W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,582,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/305 in the event of power-supply fluctuations

Abstract

The various embodiments described herein include systems, methods and/or devices used to enable power inrush management of storage devices (e.g., DIMM devices). In one aspect, the method includes, for at least one storage device populated in a slot of a plurality of storage device slots, the plurality of storage device slots configured to be populated by two or more storage devices: (1) detecting a unique location associated with the storage device, (2) determining a time delay for the storage device in accordance with the unique location associated with the storage device, and (3) delaying at least one power-on operation of the storage device by the time delay for the storage device.

Claims

1. A method of power management of a plurality of storage device slots configured to be populated by two or more storage devices, the method comprising:

for at least one storage device populated in a slot of the plurality of storage device slots;

detecting a unique location associated with the storage device;

determining a time delay for the storage device in accordance with the unique location associated with the storage device; and

delaying at least one power-on operation of the storage device by the time delay for the storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more storage devices include two or more dual in-line memory module (DIMM) devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the unique location associated with the storage device includes monitoring signals used for System Management Bus (SMBus) addressing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the unique location associated with the storage device includes monitoring signals used for SMBus addressing and monitoring one or more additional signals.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the time delay for the storage device in accordance with the unique location associated with the storage device includes obtaining the time delay from non-volatile memory in the storage device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the time delay for the storage device in accordance with the unique location associated with the storage device includes obtaining the time delay from a host system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the time delay for the storage device in accordance with the unique location associated with the storage device includes using a predefined time interval to determine the time delay.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the predefined time interval is programmable.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein each storage device of the two or more storage devices includes an energy storage device, and the predefined time interval is less than a charge time to charge the energy storage device to a predefined level.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each storage device of the two or more storage devices includes an energy storage device, and delaying at least one power-on operation of the storage device by the time delay for the storage device includes delaying charging of the energy storage device by the time delay for the storage device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the energy storage device includes one or more capacitors.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein each storage device of the two or more storage devices includes an energy storage device, and delaying at least one power-on operation of the storage device by the time delay for the storage device includes delaying enabling of a power regulator dedicated to providing power to the energy storage device by the time delay for the storage device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage device includes a plurality of non-volatile memory (NVM) controllers, the method further comprising:

for at least one NVM controller of the plurality of NVM controllers, delaying power-on of the NVM controller.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the storage device includes an independent power domain for each NVM controller of the plurality of NVM controllers, and the independent power domains for the NVM controllers are powered-on at staggered times.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein each NVM controller of the plurality of NVM controllers has an independent reset signal, and the reset signals of the plurality of NVM controllers are released at staggered times.

16. A storage device, comprising:

an interface for operatively coupling the storage device with a host system;

an energy storage device; and

a controller with one or more processors and memory, the controller configured to;

detect a unique location associated with the storage device;

determine a time delay for the storage device in accordance with the unique location associated with the storage device; and

delay at least one power-on operation of the storage device by the time delay for the storage device.

17. The storage device of claim 16, wherein the storage device includes a dual in-line memory module (DIMM) device.

18. The storage device of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to monitor, for detecting the unique location associated with the storage device, signals used for System Management Bus (SMBus) addressing.

19. The storage device of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to delay charging of the energy storage device by the time delay for the storage device.

20. The storage device of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to delay enabling of a power regulator dedicated to providing power to the energy storage device by the time delay for the storage device.

21. The storage device of claim 16, wherein the storage device includes a plurality of non-volatile memory (NVM) controllers, and the storage device is configured to:

for at least one NVM controller of the plurality of NVM controllers, delay power-on of the NVM controller.

22. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, storing one or more programs for execution by one or more processors of a storage device, the one or more programs including instructions for:

detecting a unique location associated with the storage device;

determining a time delay for the storage device in accordance with the unique location associated with the storage device; and

delaying at least one power-on operation of the storage device by the time delay for the storage device.