Configuration parameter management using a configuration tool

• US 9,431,116 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2015
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Sun, Hairong, Hyun, Jea
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Pho M
• Application Number:
  US14/601,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20160141044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 365/185.11, 365/185.02, 365/185.24
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/10 Programming or data input circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/20 Initialising; Data preset; Chip identification
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/3418 Disturbance prevention or evaluation; Refreshing of disturbed memory data

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed for managing configuration parameters for non-volatile data storage. An initialization module is configured to initialize a value for a configuration parameter for a set of cells of a non-volatile memory medium. The initialization module may initialize the configuration parameter value based on a predetermined model for the set of cells. An update module is configured to adjust the configuration parameter using an existing function of the non-volatile memory medium. The existing function may use the initialized value to adjust the configuration parameter. The update module may adjust the configuration parameter in response to a trigger. An access module is configured to access the set of storage cells using the adjusted configuration parameter.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

overwriting a default value for an integrated update function of a non-volatile storage medium with an initial value for a configuration parameter for a group of storage cells of the non-volatile storage medium, the initial value based on one or more characteristics for the group of storage cells;

updating the initial value for the configuration parameter using the integrated update function of the non-volatile storage medium; and

accessing the group of storage cells using the updated value for the configuration parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a controller for the non-volatile storage medium overwrites the default value with the initial value for the configuration parameter, and initiates the integrated update function in response to a trigger.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrated update function updates the initial value for the configuration parameter by searching within a range comprising the initial value for the configuration parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising overwriting an updated value for the configuration parameter from the integrated update function in response to a trigger.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein logic hardware for performing the integrated update function is co-located with the group of storage cells on a die of the non-volatile storage medium.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the initial value for the configuration parameter comprises storing the updated value for the configuration parameter in a register referenced by circuits of the non-volatile storage medium for accessing the group of storage cells.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein overwriting the default value with the initial value for the configuration parameter comprises storing the initial value for the configuration parameter in the register.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the initial value for the configuration parameter is in response to a threshold being satisfied, the threshold comprising one or more of an idle time threshold, a program/erase cycle count threshold, an error threshold, and a retention time threshold.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising managing a frequency for updating values for the configuration parameter using the integrated update function, based on one or more characteristics for the group of storage cells.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising interrupting the integrated update function in response to an operation for the group of storage cells having a higher priority than the integrated update function.

11. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

sending a first command for initiating the integrated update function to a first memory element in a channel of non-volatile memory elements, wherein one or more enable lines for the memory elements in the channel are coupled together in parallel; and

sending a second command that is not for the integrated update function to a second memory element in the channel in parallel with sending the first command to the first memory element.

12. An apparatus comprising:

an initialization module configured to initialize a value for a configuration parameter for a set of cells of a non-volatile memory medium, based on a predetermined model for the set of cells;

an update module configured to adjust the configuration parameter using an existing function of the non-volatile memory medium in response to a trigger, the existing function using the initialized value to adjust the configuration parameter; and

an access module configured to access the set of storage cells using the adjusted configuration parameter.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a controller for the non-volatile memory medium, the controller comprising at least the initialization module, the controller configured to provide the initialized value and to trigger the update module to adjust the configuration parameter, the existing function of the non-volatile memory medium using the initialized value to adjust the configuration parameter by searching within a range associated with the initialized value for the configuration parameter.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the initialization module is configured to initialize the configuration parameter by overwriting a previously determined value for the configuration parameter from the update module in response to a predefined trigger.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the trigger comprises one or more of an idle time threshold being satisfied, a program/erase cycle count threshold being satisfied, an error threshold being satisfied, and a retention time threshold being satisfied.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising an update frequency module configured to manage a frequency for the update module to adjust the configuration parameter, based one or more characteristics for the set of storage cells.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a subgroup module configured to determine a value for the configuration parameter based on one or more access characteristics of a subset of the set of storage cells, wherein the access module is configured to use the determined configuration parameter to access the subset.

18. A system comprising:

a non-volatile recording device comprising a non-volatile recording medium; and

a controller for the non-volatile recording device, the controller

establishing an initial read voltage threshold for an erase block of the non-volatile recording medium, based on one or more characteristics for the same erase block,

setting the read voltage threshold by triggering a configuration tool of the non-volatile recording medium in response to a threshold being satisfied, and

accessing the erase block using the set read voltage threshold.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller sets the read voltage threshold by searching within a range associated with the initial read voltage threshold.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller comprises one or more of a hardware controller for the non-volatile recording device and a device driver for the non-volatile recording device, the device driver comprising computer executable code stored on a non-volatile computer readable storage medium.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a trigger module configured to determine that a trigger has occurred for a region of a non-volatile storage medium;

an update module configured to determine a read voltage threshold using a read voltage search function of the non-volatile storage medium in response to the trigger; and

an access module configured to access the region of the non-volatile storage medium using the determined read voltage threshold.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising an update frequency module configured to manage a frequency for the update module to determine the read voltage threshold, based one or more characteristics for the region of the non-volatile storage medium.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a priority interrupt module configured to interrupt the update module determining the read voltage threshold in response to an operation having a higher priority than determining the read voltage threshold.