Abstract: A storage device controller includes drive controller circuitry configured to control writing and fetching of data from a storage medium, read data channel circuitry for interfacing between the drive controller circuitry and the storage medium, test controller circuitry configured to test the read data channel circuitry by issuing test commands simulating the writing and fetching of data from the storage medium, and selector circuitry configured to switchably couple the read data channel circuitry to the drive controller circuitry in an operating mode and to the test controller circuitry in a testing mode. The storage device controller may include a pattern generator configured to output the test commands. Processor circuitry may be configured to store test results in memory, to compute performance metrics from the stored test results, and communicate the performance metrics to a host device.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for reading data from a physical storage medium, transferring the data between a data channel and a test interface over a parallel data bus, and providing the data from the test interface at a serial port in a serial format.