Virtual IDE storage device with PCI express interface

• US 7,356,637 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phison Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Phison Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Tee, Boon-Kuew, Gan, Wee-Kuan
• Primary Examiner(s): AUVE, GLENN ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US11/747,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20070208900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• Field of Search: 710/313, 710/315, 711/115
• US Class Current: 710/315
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]

Abstract

The present invention discloses a virtual integrated drive electronics (IDE) storage device with a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) Express interface. The storage device includes a microcontroller connected to a PCI Express connecting interface and a flash memory separately. The microcontroller includes a flash memory interface, a PCI Express interface and a virtual IDE module. The virtual IDE module includes an IDE host and an IDE device. When the host sends an instruction for storing or reading data to a flash memory, the instruction will be sent to and executed in the virtual IDE module. The data in the flash memory can be transmitted at a transmission rate up to the standard of an IDE device, and the host will consider the storage device as an IDE device instead of a PCI Express device only.

Claims

1. A flash storage device, comprising:

a microcontroller having a flash memory interface, a PCI Express interface, and a virtual IDE module capable of receiving an instruction given by a host, the virtual IDE module having an IDE host for receiving an IDE instruction given by the host and an IDE device for executing the IDE instruction, the virtual IDE module being implemented by a firmware program to be executed by the microcontroller;

a flash memory coupled to the microcontroller for storing data; and

a PCI Express connecting interface capable of being connected to a PCI Express bus disposed between the host and the flash storage device and provided for coupling the microcontroller to the host,

wherein when the flash storage device is connected to the host, the microcontroller notifies the host that the storage device is an IDE storage device, and

wherein when the host reads the data stored in the flash memory, the IDE instruction given by the host is sent to the virtual IDE module to be executed by the virtual IDE module, and the data in the flash memory is converted by the flash memory interface or the PCI Express interface of the microcontroller into a data forms acceptable by the PCI Express bus, and then the converted data is sent to the host.

2. The flash storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the IDE instruction complies with an ATA specification.

3. The flash storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the IDE instruction complies with a Serial ATA specification.

4. The flash storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the host and the flash storage device have only one lane at a physical layer for transmitting data, and the lane comprises a transmitting end (Tx) and a receiving end (Rx).

5. The flash storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the host and the flash storage device have more than one lane at a physical layer for transmitting data, and the lanes comprise a transmitting end (Tx) and a receiving end (Rx).

6. A controller, coupled to a flash memory and a PCI Express connecting interface, wherein the PCI Express connecting interface is capable of being connected to a PCI Express bus disposed between a host and a flash memory and provided for coupling the controller to the host, the controller comprising:

a flash memory interface, for interfacing with the flash memory;

a PCI Express interface, for interfacing with the PCI Express connecting interface; and

a virtual IDE module capable of receiving an instruction given by the host, the virtual IDE module having a virtual IDE host for receiving an IDE instruction given by the host and an virtual IDE device for executing the IDE instruction, the virtual IDE module being implemented by a firmware program to be executed by the controller,

wherein when the flash storage device is connected to the host, the controller notifies the host that the controller is an IDE host,

wherein when the host reads data stored in the flash memory, the IDE instruction given by the host is sent to the virtual IDE module to be executed by the virtual IDE module, and the data in the flash memory is converted by the flash memory interface or the PCI Express interface of the controller into a data format acceptable by the PCI Express bus, and then the converted data is sent to the host.

7. The controller as claimed in claim 6, wherein the IDE instruction complies with an ATA specification.

8. The controller as claimed in claim 6, wherein the IDE instruction complies with a Serial ATA specification.

9. The controller as claimed in claim 6, wherein the host and the flash storage device have only one lane at a physical layer for transmitting data, and the lane comprises a transmitting end (Tx) and a receiving end (Rx).

10. The controller as claimed in claim 6, wherein the host and the flash storage device have more than one lane at a physical layer for transmitting data, and the lanes comprise a transmitting end (Tx) and a receiving end (Rx).

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a microcontroller having a flash memory interface, a PCI Express interface, and a virtual IDE module capable of receiving an instruction given by a host, the virtual IDE module being implemented by a firmware program to be executed by the microcontroller;

a flash memory coupled to the microcontroller for storing data; and

a PCI Express connecting interface capable of being connected to a PCI Express bus disposed between the host and the apparatus and provided for coupling the microcontroller to the host;

wherein when the apparatus is connected to the host, the microcontroller notifies the host that the apparatus is an IDE storage device,

wherein when the host reads the data stored in the flash memory, an IDE instruction given by the host is sent to the virtual IDE module to be executed by the virtual IDE module, and the data in the flash memory is converted by the flash memory interface or the PCI Express interface of the microcontroller into a data format acceptable by the PCI Express bus, and then the converted data is sent to the host.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the IDE instruction complies with an ATA specification.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the IDE instruction complies with a Serial ATA specification.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the host and the apparatus have only one lane at a physical layer for transmitting data, and the lane comprises a transmitting end (Tx) and a receiving end (Rx).

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the host and the apparatus have more than one lane at a physical layer for transmitting data, and the lanes comprise a transmitting end (Tx) and a receiving end (Rx).

16. A method for interfacing between a flash storage device and a host, the flash storage device comprising a PCI Express connecting interface, a flash memory and a controller interconnected therebetween, the PCI Express connecting interface capable of being connected to a PCI Express bus disposed between the host and the flash storage device and provided for coupling the controller to the host, the method comprising:

notifying the host that the storage device is an IDE storage device when the flash storage device is connected to the host;

the host issuing an IDE saving instruction to the flash storage device, the IDE saving instruction being executed by the controller and data from the host for saving is converted by the controller into a data format acceptable to the flash memory and is stored in the flash memory; and

the host issuing an IDE reading instruction to the flash storage device, the IDE reading instruction being executed by the controller, and the data in the flash memory is converted by the controller into a data format acceptable by the PCI Express bus, and then the converted data is sent to the host.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein a plurality of IDE instructions issued by the host are executed by a virtual IDE module being implemented by a firmware program in the controller.