Abstract: Methods and systems associated with re-transferring data that was unsuccessfully transmitted to a host are described. According to one embodiment a method includes transferring data from a buffer to a host; receiving an unsuccessful status from the host indicating a transmission error; identifying a block of data being transferred when the transmission error occurred; and re-transferring data in the identified block from the buffer to the host without re-transferring successfully transferred blocks.

Abstract: A system and method for verifying an identifier of a command. The method includes receiving an incoming command and sending a first alert to auto-logging hardware, wherein the auto-logging hardware sends a fetch instruction in response to receiving the first alert; retrieving an identifier of the incoming command in response to the fetch instruction and sending a second alert to the auto-logging hardware, wherein the auto-logging hardware sends a search instruction in response to receiving the second alert; and searching for the identifier of the incoming command in a table in response to the search instruction, the table storing identifiers previously assigned to other commands, wherein the incoming command is logged into the search table and marked as a searched command after the search for the first identifier in the table has completed successfully.

Abstract: A method and system for command queuing in disk drives may improve performance by queuing multiple commands and sequentially executing them automatically without firmware intervention. The method may use a number of queues, e.g., a staging queue for commands to be executed, an execution queue for commands currently being executed, and a holding queue for commands which have been executed but have not received a status report from a host. With the pipelined nature of queued commands, when data requested by one command are being sent to the host, the queue logic may already be fetching data for the next command. If an error occurs in the transmission, commands in the queues may backtrack and restart from the point where data were last known to have been successfully sent to the host.

Abstract: The transmission of buffered data is coordinated between a storage medium and a host in response to a request from the host. One or more blocks of data are transferred from the storage medium to a buffer memory. One or more frames of data are transmitted from the buffer memory to the host, wherein the number of blocks ending in the frame is recorded in a blocks/frame register, and possibly also in a block count accumulator register. Buffer release pulses for releasing buffer space in memory are sent to the buffer memory, based on the number of blocks in the blocks/frame register, or the number of blocks accumulated in the block count accumulator register when a signal is received from the host. A pointer which points to the last block of data successfully transferred is updated in accordance with the buffer release pulses.

Abstract: Methods and systems associated with re-transferring data that was unsuccessfully transmitted to a host are described. According to one embodiment method includes receiving a first command to transfer data to a host, wherein the data is arranged in blocks. The data is transferred to the host. When an unsuccessful status is received from the host indicating a transmission error occurred for the first command, a block being transferred when the transmission error occurred is identified. The data in the identified block is re-transferred to the host without re-transferring successfully transferred blocks.

Abstract: A method and system for command queuing in disk drives may improve performance by queuing multiple commands and sequentially executing them automatically without firmware intervention. The method may use a number of queues, e.g., a staging queue for commands to be executed, an execution queue for commands currently being executed, or a holding queue for commands which may have been executed but have not received a status report from a host.

Abstract: Methods and systems for performing a restart operation in a storage device include in response to receiving an unsuccessful status from the host indicating a transmission error occurred for the first command, determining in which one of the logical blocks the transmission error occurred and from which data needs to be resent, thereby identifying a restart logical block. The number of blocks in the restart logical block that were sent successfully are calculated, and it is determined that the block immediately following the blocks sent successfully is the block in which the transmission error occurred and from which the data needs to be resent, thereby identifying a restart block. An amount of data successfully sent in the restart block is determined; and an indication is provided to resend at least a portion of the data in the restart block to the host.

Abstract: The transmission of buffered data is coordinated between a storage medium and a host in response to a request from the host. One or more blocks of data are transferred from the storage medium to a buffer memory. One or more frames of data are transmitted from the buffer memory to the host, wherein the number of blocks ending in the frame is recorded in a blocks/frame register, and possibly also in a block count accumulator register. Buffer release pulses for releasing buffer space in memory are sent to the buffer memory, based on the number of blocks in the blocks/frame register, or the number of blocks accumulated in the block count accumulator register when a signal is received from the host. A pointer which points to the last block of data successfully transferred is updated in accordance with the buffer release pulses.

Abstract: A FIFO memory has integrated error management to react to different errors according to the current state of operation of the input and output as well as internal conditions such as buffer memory status. The FIFO memory completes or aborts current operations according to state and leaves the FIFO memory in known condition following error handling. Thus, data sent to a host avoids data gaps or data overlaps because the FIFO memory leaves operations in a known state before reporting the error to a controller.

Abstract: A method and system for command queuing in disk drives may improve performance by queuing multiple commands and sequentially executing them automatically without firmware intervention. The method may use a number of queues, e.g., a staging queue for commands to be executed, an execution queue for commands currently being executed, and a holding queue for commands which have been executed but have not received a status report from a host. With the pipelined nature of queued commands, when data requested by one command are being sent to the host, the queue logic may already be fetching data for the next command. If an error occurs in the transmission, commands in the queues may backtrack and restart from the point where data were last known to have been successfully sent to the host.

Abstract: A FIFO memory has integrated error management to react to different errors according to the current state of operation of the input and output as well as internal conditions such as buffer memory status. The FIFO memory completes or aborts current operations according to state and leaves the FIFO memory in known condition following error handling. Thus, data sent to a host avoids data gaps or data overlaps because the FIFO memory leaves operations in a known state before reporting the error to a controller.

Abstract: A memory management system includes a memory controller module configured to receive a frame of data. The frame of data includes a plurality of data words that generate boundary indicators based on at least one of a start of the frame and an end of the frame. The plurality of data words inserts the boundary indicators into the frame of data. The memory is configured to store the frame of data, including the data words and the boundary indicators, during transmission of the frame of data between a host and a storage device.

Abstract: An execution queue stores a write command from the host in response to issuance of the write command from the host, and is removed from the execution queue in response to a signal indicating that data designated by the write command has been written to the hard disk. A holding queue stores the write command removed from the execution queue. In response to the command being stored in the holding queue, a request is issued for an acknowledgment from the host. The write command is removed from the holding queue in response to the acknowledgment being received from the host. An outgoing queue stores the write command removed from the holding queue for deletion. The queues are controlled by queue management hardware, the request is issued by the queue management hardware, and the signal and acknowledgment are received by the queue management hardware.

Abstract: Management of requests from a host to an external storage medium. An execution queue stores commands to be executed, and each command corresponds to a request from the host for data. A holding queue stores executed commands until receipt of an acknowledgment from the host that the host has, e.g., received the data corresponding to the command from the external storage medium. An outgoing queue stores acknowledged commands and has a maximum storage limit. A counter is provided, and a separate logic block increments the counter when a command is stored in the execution queue and decrements the counter when an acknowledged command is deleted from the outgoing queue. The separate logic disables execution of commands stored in the execution queue when the value of the counter equals the maximum storage limit of the outgoing queue.

Abstract: A memory management system for a memory in a data storage device comprises a memory controller module that receives a frame of data including a plurality of data words from a host, that generates boundary indicators based on at least one of a start and an end of the frame and the plurality of data words, and that inserts the boundary indicators into the frame of data and a memory that receives the frame of data and stores the frame of data including the data words and the boundary indicators during transmission between the host and the storage device.