Disc interface, disc interface system having the same, and disc interfacing method

• US 7,103,496 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2004
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hong, Si-Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): PRETLOW, DEMETRIUS R
• Application Number:
  US10/911,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20050065748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 702/124
• US Class Current: 702/124
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318314 Tools, e.g. program interfaces, test suite, test bench, simulation hardware, test compiler, test program languages simulation software G01R31/318357; emulators G06F11/261
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0673 Single storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06

Abstract

A disc interface, a disc interface system having the same, and a disc interfacing method may be provided. The disc interface may receive a reduced quantity of test command information at a lower speed which may correspond to an operation speed of a general test apparatus to automatically generate a real-time testbench signal. The digital unit of the disc interface may be operated at an actual operation speed though the test command information and debugging data may be input and output at a lower speed. Thus, digital circuits operating at a high speed may be tested using an less expensive test apparatus.

Claims

1. A disc interface, comprising:

a test unit that encodes test command input information in response to a second logic state of a test enable signal to generate a testbench signal as digital reception information and decodes digital transmission information input as a test result to output debugging information, the test unit not outputting the testbench signal and debugging information at a first logic state of the test enable signal;

a physical layer unit that converts a computer output signal to output physical layer information as the digital reception information and converts the digital transmission information to generate a computer input signal;

a multiplexer that selects one of the testbench signal and physical layer information in response to the logic state of the test enable signal to output the digital reception information; and

a digital processing unit that processes the digital reception information to output interface output information and generates the digital transmission information in response to the digital reception information or interface input information.

2. The disc interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the test unit comprises:

a testbench signal generator that encodes the test command input information in response to the second logic state of the test enable signal to generate the testbench signal; and

a debugging information outputting unit that decodes the digital transmission information to output the debugging information.

3. The disc interface as claimed in claim 2, wherein the testbench signal generator comprises:

a state machine unit that generates storage information corresponding to the test command input information in response to the second logic state of the test enable signal;

a register that stores the test command input information in response to the storage information; and

an encoding and scrambling unit that encodes and scrambles the test command input information output from the register to generate the testbench signal.

4. The disc interface as claimed in claim 3, wherein the debugging information outputting unit includes a FIFO memory that stores and outputs the digital transmission information, and a decoding and descrambling unit that decodes and descrambles the digital transmission information output from the FIFO memory to output the debugging information.

5. The disc interface as claimed in claim 4, wherein the FIFO memory outputs information on the occupied capacity of the memory in response to the storage of the digital transmission information, and the state machine unit checks the information on the occupied capacity of the memory to judge that overflow occurs when the occupied capacity exceeds a threshold and outputs hold primitive information through a connection line through which the testbench signal is output.

6. The disc interface as claimed in claim 3, wherein the state machine unit receives debugging information as a part of the test command information.

7. The disc interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer output signal and computer input signal are differential signals.

8. A disc interface system, comprising:

a disc interface that encodes test command input information to generate a testbench signal, converts a computer output signal to generate physical layer information, processes one of the testbench signal and physical layer information as digital reception information to output interface output information, and converts digital transmission information generated in response to the digital reception information or interface input information to output a computer input signal or decodes the digital transmission information to output debugging information; and

a back-up device that outputs the interface input information as information of a result obtained by executing the test command in response to the interface output information.

9. The disc interface system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a computer that generates the computer output signal corresponding to a command of accessing the back-up device and processes the computer input signal corresponding to the interface input information.

10. The disc interface system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the test command input information includes information corresponding to at least one of commands IDENTIFY DEVICE, SET FEATURE, READ MULTIPLE, WRITE MULTIPLE, READ DMA and WRITE DMA.

11. The disc interface system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the disc interface comprises:

a test unit that encodes the test command input information in response to a second logic state of a test enable signal to generate the testbench signal as the digital reception information and decodes the digital transmission information input as a test result to output the debugging information, the test unit not outputting the testbench signal and debugging information at a first logic state of the test enable signal;

a physical layer unit that converts the computer output signal to output the physical layer information as the digital reception information and converts the digital transmission information to generate the computer input signal;

a multiplexer that selects one of the testbench signal and physical layer information in response to the logic state of the test enable signal to output the digital reception information; and

a digital processing unit that processes the digital reception information to output the interface output information and generates the digital transmission information in response to the digital reception information or interface input information.

12. A disc interfacing method, comprising:

encoding test command input information in response to a second logic state of a test enable signal to generate a testbench signal as digital reception information and decoding digital transmission information input as a test result to output debugging information, outputting none of the testbench signal and debugging information at a first logic state of the test enable signal;

converting a computer output signal to output physical layer information as the digital reception information and converting the digital transmission information to generate a computer input signal;

selecting one of the testbench signal and physical layer information in response to the logic state of the test enable signal to output the digital reception information; and

processing the digital reception information to output interface output information and generating the digital transmission information in response to the digital reception information or interface input information.

13. The disc interfacing method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the testbench signal is information generated by encoding and scrambling the test command input information, and the debugging information is generated by decoding and descrambling the digital transmission information.

14. The disc interfacing method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the testbench signal is generated by:

generating storage information corresponding to the test command input information in response to the second logic state of the test enable signal;

storing the test command input information in response to the storage information; and

encoding and scrambling the test command input information to generate the testbench signal.

15. The disc interfacing method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the debugging information is generated by:

storing and outputting the digital transmission information; and

decoding and descrambling the digital transmission information to output the debugging information.

16. The disc interfacing method as claimed in claim 15, wherein storing the digital transmission information includes outputting information on the occupied capacity of a memory in response to the storage of the digital transmission information, and deciding that overflow occurs when the occupied capacity of the memory exceeds a threshold to output hold primitive information through a connection line through which the testbench signal is output.

17. The disc interfacing method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the debugging information can be used as a part of the test command information.

18. The disc interfacing method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the computer output signal and computer input signal are differential signals.

19. A disc interfacing method, comprising:

encoding test command input information to generate a testbench signal;

converting a computer output signal to generate physical layer information;

processing one of the testbench signal and physical layer information as digital reception information, to output interface output information;

converting digital transmission information generated in response to the digital reception information or interface input information to output a computer input signal;

decoding the digital transmission information to output debugging information; and

outputting the interface input information by a back-up device as information of a result, obtained when the back-up device executes the test command, in response to the interface output information.

20. The disc interfacing method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising generating the computer output signal corresponding to a command of accessing the back-up device by a computer, and processing the computer input signal corresponding to the interface input information.

21. The disc interfacing method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the test command input information includes information corresponding to at least one of commands IDENTIFY DEVICE, SET FEATURE, READ MULTIPLE, WRITE MULTIPLE, READ DMA and WRITE DMA.

22. The disc interfacing method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the test command input information and computer output signal are processed by:

encoding the test command input information in response to a second logic state of a test enable signal to generate the testbench signal as the digital reception information and decoding the digital transmission information input as a test result to output the debugging information, outputting none of the testbench signal and debugging information at a first logic state of the test enable signal;

converting the computer output signal to a digital signal to output the physical layer information as the digital reception information and converting the digital transmission information to generate the computer input signal;

selecting one of the testbench signal and physical layer information in response to the logic state of the test enable signal to output the digital reception information; and

processing the digital reception information to output the interface output information and generating the digital transmission information in response to the digital reception information or interface input information.