Abstract: A data storage device having a flash translation layer configured to handle file-system defragmentation in a manner that avoids, reduces, and/or optimizes physical data movement in flash memory. In an example embodiment, the memory controller maintains in a volatile memory thereof a lookaside table that supplants pertinent portions of the logical-to-physical table. Entries of the lookaside table are configured to track source and destination addresses of the host defragmentation requests and are logically linked to the corresponding entries of the logical-to-physical table such that end-to-end data protection including the use of logical-address tags to the user data can be supported by logical means and without physical data rearrangement in the flash memory. In some embodiments, physical data rearrangement corresponding to the file-system defragmentation is performed in the flash memory in response to certain trigger events, which can improve the input/output performance of the data-storage device.

Abstract: A non-volatile storage apparatus comprises a plurality of memory cells that store host data and two models, a control circuit for writing to and reading from the memory cells, and an inference circuit. The inference circuit uses the first model with a first set of one or more metrics describing current operation of the non-volatile storage apparatus to make a first level prediction about defects and uses the second model with a second set of one or more metrics describing current operation of the non-volatile storage apparatus to make a second level prediction about defects. In one embodiment, the first level prediction is faster to make and uses less data collection, but is not as reliable, as the second level prediction. While second level prediction is more reliable, it takes more time to perform and requires a more intensive data collection, so it is only used when needed.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed herein for detecting leaky word lines in a non-volatile storage system. The exact leaky word line may be located very rapidly using a divide and conquer approach. First a determination may be made whether at least one word line in a group such as any of the word lines in a block is leaky. This initial determination can be made very quickly. If no word line in the group is leaky, the search can end. However, responsive to a determination that at least one word line in the group is leaky, a divide and conquer search may be performed in which the group of the word lines is repeatedly divided into smaller sub-groups with selected smaller sub-groups tested for a short circuit until the leaky word line is located.

Abstract: A data storage device stores files in its memory. The files may be logically fragmented in that various parts of a given file may be located in non-continuous logical addresses, which can be disadvantageous. The host can send a request to the data storage device to reduce such logical fragmentation. For example, the host can send a swap command to the data storage device, in response to which the data storage device swaps the logical addresses of data fragments of two different files. This results in the logical address of one or both of the data fragments being continuous with the logical address of another data fragment of the same file. This logical address swap can take place without physically moving the data in the memory.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to estimating when data to be written will be read or re-written prior to actually writing the data to the memory device. The estimating can be used to smartly route the data to the appropriate memory location at the writing stage or to evict the data from a hot memory location to a colder memory location. To perform the estimating, typical traces or data may be used as may the metadata of the data. Separating data according to the data “temperature” (i.e. the expected access time and frequency), and usage to optimize the SLC partition usage has meaningful impact on several storage metrics such as performance and endurance.

Abstract: A data storage device includes a memory device and a controller coupled to the memory device. The controller is configured to receive a dataset management (DSM) hint, determine if a second physical memory range associated with a next read operation is located within a threshold number of physical block addresses (PBAs) to a first physical memory range associated with a current read operation, where the next read operation is provided by the DSM hint, and utilize at least a portion of a latency budget associated with the current read operation to optimize a read parameter of the first physical memory range.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for management of thermal shutdown in data storage devices are provided. One such data storage device includes a non-volatile memory (NVM) including a thermal shutdown temperature indicative of a maximum temperature at which the NVM will retain data stored therein; and a processor coupled to the NVM, the processor configured to: determine whether a temperature at the NVM exceeds the thermal shutdown temperature; start, responsive to the determination that the temperature at the NVM exceeds the thermal shutdown temperature, a timer; determine, responsive to the timer reaching a preselected duration, whether the temperature at the NVM still exceeds the thermal shutdown temperature; cause, responsive to the determination that the temperature at the NVM still exceeds the thermal shutdown temperature, the NVM to be powered off; and maintain power to components of the data storage device other than the NVM.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for performing compute in memory (CIM) computations. A device comprises a CIM module configured to apply analog weights to input data using multiply-accumulate operations to generate an output. The device further comprises a digital weight storage unit configured to store digital weight references, wherein a digital weight reference corresponds to an analog weight of the analog weights. The device also comprises a device controller configured to program the analog weights to the CIM module, cause the CIM module to process the input data, and reprogram one or more analog weights that are degraded. The digital weight references in the digital weight storage unit are populated with values from a host processing device. Degraded analog weights in the CIM module are reprogrammed based on the corresponding digital weight references from the digital weight storage unit without reference to the host processing device.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing multilingual media files. In certain embodiments, a data storage device includes a controller configured to: receive a command to write data for a media file to a non-volatile memory, wherein the media file includes one or more frames each including a video frame and a plurality of audio frames associated with a plurality of languages; decode using a decoder a first frame of the media file to determine a logical block address (LBA) for a video frame of the first frame and an LBA for each of a plurality of audio frames of the first frame; write the first frame to the non-volatile memory; and update a logical-to-physical (L2P) table to add information associated with the LBA for the video frame of the first frame and the LBA for each of the plurality of audio frames of the first frame.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to methods of operating storage devices. The storage device comprises a controller comprising first random access memory (RAM1), second random access memory (RAM2), and a storage unit divided into a plurality of streams. When a write command is received to write data to a stream, change log data is generated and stored in the RAM1, the previous delta data for the stream is copied from the RAM2 to the RAM1 to be updated with the change log data, and the updated delta data is copied to the RAM2. The delta data stored in the RAM2 is copied to the storage unit periodically. The controller tracks which delta data has been copied to the RAM2 and to the storage unit. During a power failure, the delta data and the change log data are copied from the RAM1 or the RAM2 to the storage unit.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to methods of operating storage devices. The storage device comprises a controller and a media unit. The capacity of the media unit is divided into a plurality of zones. The controller is configured to make informed use of errors by update zone metadata to indicate one or more first logical block addresses were skipped and to indicate the next valid logical block address is available to store data. The controller is further configured to update zone metadata to recommend to the host device to reset one or more full zones, to recommend to the host device to transition one or more open zones to a full state, to alert the host device that one or more open zones have been transitioned to the full state, and to notify the host device of the writeable zone capacity of each of the plurality of zones.

Abstract: A method for secure wireless communication executed by at least one processor of a device. A registration certificate is transmitted to the device by a host, the registration certificate including a Long Term Device Key (LTDK) and being generated by a registration server in response to the registration of the host as authorized to connect to the device. In response to receiving a request for securing a Bluetooth connection between the device and the host, the device transmits the LTDK to the host. The device receives, from the host, a connection certificate including connection data for establishing the connection between the host and the device. The connection certificate is signed by a private Long Term Host Key (LTHK) of the host, where the LTHK of the host and the LTDK of the device form a cryptographic Long Term Key pair. The device validates the connection certificate using the LTDK of the device to determine whether the host is authorized to connect to the device.

Abstract: A data storage device and method for dynamic prediction of random read with low memory consumption are provided. In one embodiment, a data storage device comprises a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, and a controller. The controller is configured to allocate an amount of space in the volatile memory for a history pattern matcher data structure used to predict next read commands from a host to read data stored in the non-volatile memory; determine an accuracy of the predicted next read commands; and based on the determined accuracy, dynamically allocate a different amount of space in the volatile memory for the history pattern matcher data structure. Other embodiments are possible, and each of the embodiments can be used alone or together in combination.

Abstract: A data storage device and method are provided for host multi-command queue grouping based on write-size alignment in a multi-queue-depth environment. In one embodiment, a data storage device is provided comprising a memory and a controller. The controller is configured to provide a host with an indication of a required amount of data needed to program a set of multi-level cell blocks in the memory; receive an assurance from the host that the host will be providing the data storage device with the required amount of data; and based on the assurance received from the host, program the set of multi-level cell blocks as data is received from the host but before the required amount of data is received from the host. Other embodiments are possible, and each of the embodiments can be used alone or together in combination.

Abstract: A data storage device including a biometric reader for biometric authentication to enable access to a storage medium. The data storage device is configured for remote registration of a remote user of the data storage device, wherein registration includes receiving a record of a biometric authentication data set of the remote user from a secure database. Alternatively, a secure authorizing command is received remotely from an authorization server to enable the data storage device to directly read and store biometric data of the remote user. The data storage device can be unlocked by biometric authentication to enable a host device to access user data in the storage medium.

Abstract: A data storage device and method for memory-die-state-aware host command submission are provided. In one embodiment, a data storage device comprises a memory comprising a plurality of memory dies and a controller. The controller is configured to receive a query from a host for a status of a memory die that will be accessed by a command; determine the status of the memory die; and respond to the query by providing the status of the memory die to the host. Other embodiments are possible, and each of the embodiments can be used alone or together in combination.

Abstract: A solder paste stencil includes, in one embodiment, a substrate defining solder apertures, each aperture wall of each of the solder apertures is coated with a coating material that reduces wetting of a solder paste relative to the aperture walls.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to an embedded physical layer (EPHY) for a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The EPHY for the FPGA is for a testing device that can receive and transmit in both the high speed PHYs, as well as low speed PHYs, such as MIPI PHYS (MPHYs), to meet universal flash storage (UFS) specifications. The testing device with the EPHY for the FPGA provides flexibility to support any specification updates without the need of application specific (ASIC) production cycles.

Abstract: A data storage device including, in one implementation, a number of memory die packages disposed on a substrate within the data storage device. Each memory die package has a die density that includes one or more memory dies. The die density of each memory die package is configured to provide an even thermal distribution across the number of memory die packages. The respective die densities of two memory of the die packages are different from each other.

Abstract: A data storage device includes a host interface for coupling the data storage device to a host system. The data storage device also includes a device memory and a controller. The controller is configured to determine if a retrim is needed for the data storage device. In accordance with a determination that the retrim is needed, the controller is configured to identify a time to initiate a new trim on the data storage device, and cause the new trim on the data storage device at the time identified.