SSD test systems and methods

• US 7,873,885 B1
• Filed: 01/19/2009
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Super Talent Technology, Corporation
• Original Assignee: Super Talent Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Shin, MyeongJin, Lee, Charles C., Ma, Abraham Chih-Kang, Yu, I-Kang
• Primary Examiner(s): Chung; Phung M
• Application Number:
  US12/356,072
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 714/724, 714/703, 714/718, 714/742, 714/799, 714/746, 714/738, 714/739, 714/728, 365/185.33, 702/108, 702/118, 702/185
• US Class Current: 714/724
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/04 using variable threshold transistors, e.g. FAMOS
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/08 Functional testing, e.g. testing during refresh, power-on self testing [POST] or distributed testing
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/56 External testing equipment for static stores, e.g. automatic test equipment [ATE]; Interfaces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/04 Supports for storage elements , e.g. memory modules; Mounting or fixing of storage elements on such supports

Abstract

Solid state drive (SSD) testing processes and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, the SSD testing process comprises: specifying a set of test parameters of firmware, operating system and flash memory for a plurality of SSDs under test (DUTs) in an SSD test system, the set of test parameters includes a model number, a serial number, a desired defective or bad block ratio and a size of the firmware, wherein the model and serial number are configured onto each of the DUTs; performing an initialization test of all of the DUTs based on the specified test parameters to determine a pre-qualified group of the DUTs that passed the initialization test; conducting at least one level of burn-in test for each SSD in the pre-qualified group; conducting at least one level of burn-in test for each SSD in the pre-qualified group; and assigning a quality grade to said each SSD based on which level of the at least one level of burn-in test said each SSD has been tested and passed, wherein the quality grade includes a commercial grade SSD made using at least one Multi-Level Cell flash memory.

Claims

1. A solid state drive (SSD) testing method comprising:

specifying a set of test parameters of firmware, operating system and flash memory for a plurality of SSDs under test (DUTs) in an SSD test system, the set of test parameters includes a model number, a serial number, a desired defective or bad block ratio and a size of the firmware, wherein the model and serial number are configured onto each of the DUTs;

performing an initialization test of all of the DUTs in the SSD test system based on the specified test parameters to determine a pre-qualified group of the DUTs that passed the initialization test;

conducting at least one level of burn-in test for each SSD under test in the pre-qualified group, wherein the at least one level of burn-in test includes a first level test configured for short verification, a second level test configure for conducting SSD testing in an environment with varying temperatures, and a third level test configured for rigorous testing of data transfer operations; and

assigning a quality grade to said each SSD under test based on which level of the at least one level of burn-in test said each SSD under test has been tested and passed, wherein the quality grade includes a commercial grade SSD made using at least one Multi-Level Cell flash memory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of test parameters further includes a reserved block ratio, a wear leveling frequency, and a set of error correction code (ECC) thresholds, the reserve block ratio is configured for reserving a set of reserved blocks to be used for future bad block replacement, the wear leveling frequency is configured for defining a wear leveling scan frequency gap used in swapping uneven wear level blocks, and the ECC thresholds are configured for validation of data from a read operation of the flash memory.

3. The method of claim 2, the ECC thresholds include a maximum number and a minimum number of errors determined by an ECC detector.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the SSD test system comprises a slot test device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the SSD test system comprises a main test server coupled with a plurality of slot test devices via a data network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the rigorous testing is conducted in room temperature and configured for continuous writing and reading back test data to and from the flash memory.

7. A solid state drive (SSD) testing method comprising:

specifying a set of test parameters of firmware, operating system and flash memory for a plurality of SSDs under test (DUTs) in an SSD test system, the set of test parameters includes a model number, a serial number, a desired defective or bad block ratio and a size of the firmware, wherein the model number and serial number are configured onto each of the DUTs;

performing an initialization test of all of the DUTs in the SSD test system based on the specified test parameters to determine a pre-qualified group of the DUTs that passed the initialization test, wherein said performing the initialization test comprises scanning entire flash memory of each of the DUTs to determine a bad block ratio, DUTs with the bad block ratio lower than the desired defective block ratio are included in the pre-qualified group; and

preparing an initial storage area to ensure the initial storage area is suitable for storing the firmware, only those DUTs having the suitable initial storage area are included in the pre-qualified group;

conducting at least one level of burn-in test for each SSD under test in the pre-qualified group, wherein the at least one level of burn-in test includes a first level test configured for short verification, a second level test configure for conducting SSD testing in an environment with varying temperatures, and a third level test configured for rigorous testing of data transfer operations; and

assigning a quality grade to each SSD under test based on which level of the at least one level of burn-in test said each SSD under test been tested and passed, wherein the quality grade includes a commercial grade SSD made using at least one Multi-Level Cell flash memory.

8. The method of claim 7, said performing the initialization test further comprises downloading the firmware from the main test server to the initial storage area of said each of the DUTs, whereby the firmware can be executed by a controller of said each of the DUTs but not be accessed and/or altered in any way by users.

9. The method of claim 8, said performing the initialization test further comprises formatting the flash memory based on an operating system standard defined in the specified test parameters, such that the flash memory can be accessed by a user.

10. A solid state drive (SSD) testing process comprising:

defining a set of test parameters of firmware, operating system and flash memory of a plurality of SSDs under test (DUTs) in an SSD test system;

performing an initialization test of all of the DUTs based on the defined test parameters to determine a first group consisting of the DUTs that passed the initialization test; and

when industrial grade SSD is desired, conducting a first or short burn-in test for the first group to determine a second group consisting of those DUTs passed the first burn-in test in the first group;

applying a layer of conforming coating onto each of the second group;

conducting a second burn-in test for the second group in a temperature control chamber to determine a final group consisting of the DUTs that passed the second burn-in test; and

conducting a third or regular burn-in test for the final group, wherein the industrial grade SSD is made using at least one Single-Level Cell flash memory.

11. The process of claim 10, further comprises conducting a final quality assurance on those DUTs passed the regular burn-in test and cleaning up test data before shipping to customers.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein the set of test parameters includes defect block ratio, reserved block ratio, wear leveling frequency, maximum and minimum numbers of errors determined by error correction code.

13. The process of claim 11 said performing the initialization test further comprises:

verifying external storage device interface and internal flash memory interface;

pre-formatting a designated area of flash memory within said each of the DUTs;

downloading firmware to the pre-formatted area;

formatting the flash memory entirely to a predetermined capacity;

building a logical-to-physical address mapping table; and

assuring basic data transfer operation by performing a writing and reading to and from the flash memory.

14. The process of claim 10, wherein the SSD test system comprises a slot test device.

15. The process of claim 10, wherein the SSD test system comprises a main test server coupled with a plurality of slot test devices via a data network.

16. A system for conducting solid state drive (SSD) test comprising:

a main test server configured for controlling a group of SSDs under test;

a plurality of slot test devices coupled to the main test server via a data network, each of the slot test devices is configured to facilitate a portion of the group of SSDs under test and said each of the slot test devices is capable of;

setting each of the SSDs under test to a test mode, generating various patterns of test data and verifying whether the generated test data have been written successfully to said each of the SSDs under test, wherein the test mode allows direct data programming to said each of the SSDs under test; and

an input device and an output device configured for receiving and displaying data or information during the overall SSD test;

whereby a SSD test application module is installed on the main test server such that the test application module is centrally controlled and test results can be collected.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprises a voltage control board, coupling to the main test server, configured for controlling an operating voltage and a temperature control board, coupling to the main test server, configured for controlling an operating temperature range of a temperature chamber that houses the group of SSDs under test.

18. The system of claim 16, said overall SSD test comprises a series of power on/off tests configured to cut off electric power to the SSDs under test in a verifiable and reproducible random manner.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the verifiable and reproducible random manner is achieved using a pseudo random number generator to create time delays for power cut-off of the at least one power on/off test.