Multiple microcontroller hard disk drive control architecture
DCFirst Claim
1. A multicontroller architecture for controlling the transfer of data and control signals between a host processor, via a host interface, and storage media comprising:
- a plurality of low level controllers wherein each said low level controller, independently from any other said low level controller, controls the recording and retrieving of said data to and from said storage media;
an interface controller connected to said host interface and each said low level controller for communicating with said host processor via said host interface, for controlling the data paths to and from said host interface and said storage media, and for generating and communicating parameters to said low level controllers for defining the operation to be performed by said low level controllers whereby thereinafter said low level controller can perform said operation independently of said interface controller; and
wherein each of said low level controller comprises a first means for storing data received from said interface controller and from said storage media and a second means connected to said first means for controlling the flow of data between said first means, said interface controller and said storage media.
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Abstract
A disk drive architecture controls the transfer of data between a host processor interface and a recording media that includes one or more disk surfaces for storing data. A low-level data controller controls the transfer of data between the disk surfaces and a data buffer. An interface controller controls the transfer of data between the host interface and the data buffer. An arbiter and buffer controller, responsive to data transfer requests from the low-level and interface controllers, arbitrates data storage and retrieval accesses of the data buffer. The low-level and interface controllers operate substantially independent of one another in performing their respective control operations. Consequently, data is transferred bi-directionally through the data buffer at the optimum timing for both controllers.
88 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A multicontroller architecture for controlling the transfer of data and control signals between a host processor, via a host interface, and storage media comprising:
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a plurality of low level controllers wherein each said low level controller, independently from any other said low level controller, controls the recording and retrieving of said data to and from said storage media; an interface controller connected to said host interface and each said low level controller for communicating with said host processor via said host interface, for controlling the data paths to and from said host interface and said storage media, and for generating and communicating parameters to said low level controllers for defining the operation to be performed by said low level controllers whereby thereinafter said low level controller can perform said operation independently of said interface controller; and wherein each of said low level controller comprises a first means for storing data received from said interface controller and from said storage media and a second means connected to said first means for controlling the flow of data between said first means, said interface controller and said storage media. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A multicontroller architecture in a disk drive system for controlling the transfer of data and control signals between a host processor, via a host interface, and said disk drive system, said disk drive system including storage media and a plurality of actuators, each said actuator carrying at least one transducer for recording data on and retrieving data from said storage media and moving said actuator'"'"'s transducers with respect to said storage media, said multicontroller architecture comprising:
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a plurality of low level controllers, each said low level controller being connected to a dedicated one of said actuators where each said low level controller, independently of any other said low level controller, controls the recording of data on and the retrieving of data from any data storage location on said storage media and controls the positioning of a said transducer carried on said dedicated actuator with respect to said storage media and the maintaining the position of a said transducer carried by said dedicated actuator with respect to said storage media; an interface controller connected to said host interface and each said low level controller for communicating with said host processor via said host interface, for controlling the data paths to and from said host interface and said low level controllers and for generating and communicating parameters to said low level controllers for defining operations to be performed by said low level controllers; and each said low level controller performing said received operations from said interface controller independently of said interface controller. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification