Data storage device tester

• US 8,626,463 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Stevens, Curtis E., Dalphy, Lawrence J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US12/749,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20110154112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• Field of Search: 702/81, 702/117, 702/118, 702182-185, 702/188
• US Class Current: 702/81
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 37/00 Details not covered by any other group of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/56 External testing equipment for static stores, e.g. automatic test equipment [ATE]; Interfaces therefor

Abstract

A data storage device (DSD) tester is disclosed for testing a DSD. The DSD tester comprises control circuitry operable to receive production line data through an interface, wherein the production line data is related to the DSD. The control circuitry executes a DSD test on the DSD, and transmits failure data generated by the DSD test and the production line data to a failure information database.

Claims

1. A data storage device (DSD) tester for testing a DSD, the DSD tester comprising control circuitry operable to:

receive production line data from the DSD through an interface, wherein the production line data identifies at least part of the DSD;

execute a DSD test on the DSD; and

transmit failure data generated by the DSD test and the production line data to a failure information database.

2. The DSD tester as recited in claim 1, wherein the failure information database is located on a remote server accessible over the Internet.

3. The DSD tester as recited in claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a barcode reader.

4. The DSD tester as recited in claim 1, wherein the production line data comprises a serial number of the DSD.

5. The DSD tester as recited in claim 4, wherein the interface comprises a barcode reader for reading the serial number from an enclosure of the DSD.

6. The DSD tester as recited in claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further operable to:

aggregate the failure data and the production line data for a plurality of DSDs; and

transmit the aggregated data to the manufacturer of the DSD in an atomic operation.

7. The DSD tester as recited in claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further operable to transmit the failure data and the production line data to the manufacturer of the DSD using a File Transfer Protocol (FTP).

8. The DSD tester as recited in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of bays, wherein the control circuitry is further operable to detect when the DSD has been inserted into one of the bays.

9. The DSD tester as recited in claim 1, further comprising a Universal Serial Bus (USB) key operable to plug into a USB port of a consumer device.

10. The DSD tester as recited in claim 1, wherein the DSD comprises a disk.

11. The DSD tester as recited in claim 1, wherein the DSD comprises a semiconductor memory.

12. A data storage device (DSD) tester for testing a DSD, the DSD tester comprising a screen and control circuitry operable to:

receive production line data from the DSD through an interface, the production line data identifies at least part of the DSD;

execute a DSD test on the DSD;

correlate failure data generated by the DSD test with the production line data to generate correlated data; and

display the correlated data on the screen.

13. The DSD tester as recited in claim 12, wherein the interface comprises a barcode reader.

14. The DSD tester as recited in claim 12, wherein the production line data comprises a serial number of the DSD.

15. The DSD tester as recited in claim 14, wherein the interface comprises a barcode reader for reading the serial number from an enclosure of the DSD.

16. The DSD tester as recited in claim 12, further comprising a plurality of bays, wherein the control circuitry is further operable to detect when the DSD has been inserted into one of the bays.

17. The DSD tester as recited in claim 12, wherein the DSD comprises a disk.

18. The DSD tester as recited in claim 12, wherein the DSD comprises a semiconductor memory.

19. A method of processing test data received from a data storage device (DSD) tester after testing a DSD, the method comprising:

receiving production line data from the DSD, wherein the production line data identifies at least part of the DSD;

receiving failure data generated by the DSD tester after testing the DSD; and

correlating the failure data with the production line data to generate correlated data that identifies an error in the production line.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the production line data and the failure data are received over the Internet.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the production line data and the failure data are received using a File Transfer Protocol (FTP).

22. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising displaying the correlated data on a screen.

23. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising adjusting a DSD manufacturing process in response to the correlated data.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the manufacturing process is adjusted after analyzing correlated data generated for a plurality of DSDs.

25. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising adjusting a production line in response to the correlated data.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the production line is adjusted after analyzing correlated data generated for a plurality of DSDs.

27. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the DSD comprises a disk.

28. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the DSD comprises a semiconductor memory.

29. A method of testing a data storage device (DSD), the method comprising:

receiving production line data from the DSD, wherein the production line data identifies at least part of the DSD;

executing a DSD test on the DSD; and

transmitting failure data generated by the DSD test and the production line data to a failure information database.

30. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein the failure information database is located on a remote server accessible over the Internet.

31. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising reading the production line data from the DSD with a barcode reader.

32. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein the production line data comprises a serial number of the DSD.

33. The method as recited in claim 32, further comprising reading a barcode representing the serial number from an enclosure of the DSD.

34. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising:

aggregating the failure data and the production line data for a plurality of DSDs; and

transmitting the aggregated data to the manufacturer of the DSD in an atomic operation.

35. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising transmitting the failure data and the production line data to the manufacturer of the DSD using a File Transfer Protocol (FTP).

36. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising detecting when the DSD has been inserted into a bay.

37. The method as recited in claim 29, further comprising plugging a Universal Serial Bus (USB) key into a USB port of a consumer device.

38. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein the DSD comprises a disk.

39. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein the DSD comprises a semiconductor memory.

40. A method of testing a data storage device (DSD), the method comprising:

receiving production line data from the DSD, wherein the production line data identifies at least part of the DSD;

executing a DSD test on the DSD;

correlate failure data generated by the DSD test with the production line data to generate correlated data; and

displaying the correlated data on a screen.

41. The method as recited in claim 40, further comprising reading the production line data from the DSD with a barcode reader.

42. The method as recited in claim 40, wherein the production line data comprises a serial number of the DSD.

43. The method as recited in claim 42, further comprising reading a barcode representing the serial number from an enclosure of the DSD.

44. The method as recited in claim 40, further comprising detecting when the DSD has been inserted into a bay.

45. The method as recited in claim 40, wherein the DSD comprises a disk.

46. The method as recited in claim 40, wherein the DSD comprises a semiconductor memory.

47. A data storage device (DSD) tester for testing a DSD, the DSD tester comprising a plurality of bays and control circuitry operable to:

detect when the DSD has been inserted into one of the bays;

receive production line data through an interface, wherein the production line data is related to the DSD;

execute a DSD test on the DSD; and

transmit failure data generated by the DSD test and the production line data to a failure information database.

48. A data storage device (DSD) tester for testing a DSD, the DSD tester comprising a Universal Serial Bus (USB) key operable to plug into a USB port of a consumer device and control circuitry operable to:

receive production line data through an interface, wherein the production line data is related to the DSD;

execute a DSD test on the DSD; and

transmit failure data generated by the DSD test and the production line data to a failure information database.

49. A method of testing a data storage device (DSD), the method comprising:

detecting when the DSD has been inserted into a bay;

receiving production line data related to the DSD;

executing a DSD test on the DSD; and

transmitting failure data generated by the DSD test and the production line data to a failure information database.

50. A method of testing a data storage device (DSD), the method comprising:

plugging a Universal Serial Bus (USB) key into a USB port of a consumer device;

receiving production line data related to the DSD;

executing a DSD test on the DSD; and

transmitting failure data generated by the DSD test and the production line data to a failure information database.