Abstract: A method for performing configuration management, an associated data storage device and the controller thereof are provided. The method may include: reading a read-only memory (ROM) code from a ROM to execute the ROM code; during executing the ROM code, detecting a first set of states of a general-purpose input/output (GPIO) circuit to perform a first portion of system configuration settings of the ROM code according to the first set of states; during executing the ROM code, detecting a second set of states of an electronic fuse (eFuse) circuit to perform a second portion of system configuration settings of the ROM code according to the second set of states; and executing at least one program code to make the data storage device be ready for being accessed by a host device.

Abstract: A method for creating a multi-namespace includes steps of: returning information of a namespace data structure according to a query command from, wherein the information of the namespace data structure comprises a maximum number and a total capacity of supportable namespace; receiving and determining whether a create command for creating a plurality of namespaces is correct, wherein the create command comprises a number of a namespace and a capacity of the namespace; and if the determination is correct, creating a global host logical-flash physical address (H2F) mapping table according to the create command, wherein a number of the global H2F mapping tables is independent of the maximum number of the supportable namespaces and the number of namespace. A method for accessing data in a multi-namespace is also provided.

Abstract: A method for performing access management in a memory device, the associated memory device and the controller thereof, and the associated electronic device are provided. The method may include: receiving a host command and a logical address from a host device; performing at least one checking operation to obtain at least one checking result, for determining whether to load a logical-to-physical (L2P) table from the NV memory to a random access memory (RAM) of the memory device, wherein the L2P table includes address mapping information for accessing the target data, and performing the at least one checking operation to obtain at least one checking result includes checking whether a first L2P-table index pointing toward the L2P table and a second L2P-table index sent from the host device are equivalent to each other; and reading the target data from the NV memory, and sending the target data to the host device.

Abstract: A method for performing access management in a memory device, the associated memory device and the controller thereof, and the associated electronic device are provided. The method may include: receiving a host command and a logical address from a host device; performing a checking operation to obtain a checking result, for determining whether to load a logical-to-physical (L2P) table from the NV memory to a random access memory (RAM) of the memory device; reading the target data and associated metadata from the NV memory, wherein a latest version of the L2P table is available in the RAM when reading the target data from the NV memory is performed; and checking whether a recorded logical address within the metadata and the logical address received from the host device are equivalent to each other, to control whether to send the target data to the host device.

Abstract: A method of automatic test upon storage devices, connected to user interface of computer apparatus via external connection port(s), includes: providing user interface which can be controlled by user to input at least one set of setting parameters for execution of testing task of at least one test software tool; automatically configuring information of at least one field for the execution of the testing task according to the at least one set of setting parameters; automatically executing the at least one test software tool to perform the testing task upon the multiple storage devices according to the information of the at least one field; and automatically storing result of the testing task and displaying the result on the user interface for user.

Abstract: An encoding method includes: processing a plurality of data blocks to generate a plurality of partial parity blocks, wherein the partial parity blocks includes a first portion and a second portion; using a first computing circuit to generate a first calculating result according to the second portion of the partial parity blocks; using the first calculating result to adjust the first portion of the partial parity blocks; performing circulant convolution operations upon the adjusted first portion to generate a first portion of parity blocks; and using a second computing circuit to generate a second portion of the parity blocks according to at least the first portion of parity blocks; wherein the first portion of the parity blocks and the second portion of the parity blocks serve as a plurality of parity blocks generated in response to encoding the data blocks.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method performed by a secure digital (SD) card supporting both an SD mode and a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) mode for initializing the SD card. The method comprises: (a) after receiving a first supply voltage through a first voltage supply pin from a host coupled to the SD card, entering the SD mode if the SD card is not in the PCIe mode and a CMD0 command for entering the SD mode is received through a command pin from the host coupled to the SD card; and (b) after receiving the first supply voltage through the first voltage supply pin from the host coupled to the SD card, performing a PCIe linkup process if the SD card is not in the SD mode and a second supply voltage is received through a second voltage supply pin from the host coupled to the SD card. The SD card enters the PCIe mode if the PCIe linkup process succeeds.

Abstract: A storage device and a cache area addressing method is disclosed. The storage device includes a memory module, a buffer, a memory controller, and a cache area addressing circuit. The buffer includes a cache area. The memory controller is coupled to the memory module and the buffer. The cache area addressing circuit is coupled to the memory controller and the buffer and configured to perform the followings. A logical address from the memory controller is received. Whether the logical address corresponds to a logical address interval of the cache area is determined. When the logical address corresponds to the logical address interval of the cache area, the logical address is mapped to a first physical address in the cache area according to a base address. Otherwise, the logical address is mapped to a second physical address in the buffer.

Abstract: A data accessing method using data protection with aid of a parity check matrix having partial sequential information, and associated apparatus such as memory device, memory controller, and decoding circuit thereof are provided. The data accessing method may include: in response to a read request, starting receiving protected data corresponding to the read request from predetermined storage space; generating the parity check matrix; performing syndrome calculation based on the parity check matrix according to a codeword to generate and output a syndrome for the codeword; performing error detection according to the syndrome to generate and output a decoding result signal, and performing error location decoding according to the syndrome to generate and output an error location; performing error correction of the codeword, to correct an error at the error location of the codeword; and performing further processing according to the one or more codewords obtained from the protected data.

Abstract: A method for performing refresh management in a memory device, the memory device and controller thereof are provided. The method may include: monitoring a temperature of the memory device, wherein the temperature is detected through a temperature sensor; updating a recorded highest temperature and a recorded lowest temperature according to said temperature; checking whether a difference between the recorded highest temperature and the recorded lowest temperature is greater than a predetermined temperature threshold; and when the difference is greater than the predetermined temperature threshold, triggering refresh of the memory device.

Abstract: A method for performing access management of a memory device and associated apparatus (e.g. the memory device and controller thereof such as a memory controller within the memory device, an associated host device and an associated electronic device) are provided. The method may include: when the host device sends a host command to the memory device, utilizing the memory controller to estimate a completion time of the host command, to generate completion time information corresponding to the completion time; and utilizing the memory controller to send the completion time information to the host device, to allow the host device to perform polling after the completion time to obtain execution result of the host command.

Abstract: A circuit design method is provided, including the steps of: designing a plurality of paths, wherein each path includes a plurality of elements; determining a specific path of the plurality of paths by performing a timing analysis; replacing the specific element in the specific path with the configurable logic gate array cell; and selectively changing a connection mode of a metal layer to make the configurable logic gate array cell have another function. The timing analysis includes: for each path of the plurality of paths, determining whether a chip area meets a constraint condition and whether a timing violation will occur when a specific element in each path is replaced with a configurable logic gate array cell; and when both conditions are met, determining that path as the specific path.

Abstract: A data storage device includes a memory device and a memory controller. The memory controller selects a predetermined memory block to receive data and records multiple logical addresses in a first mapping table. The first mapping table records which logical page the data stored in each physical page of the predetermined memory block is directed to. A bit table is stored in a buffer memory and includes multiple fields. Each field records a bit value. When the memory controller writes data of a logical page that corresponds to a first logical address into the predetermined memory block, the memory controller records the first logical address in the first mapping table, converts the first logical address according to a predetermined function to generate a first field index of the bit table and sets the bit value corresponding to the first field index as a first value in the bit table.

Abstract: A method for performing data processing for error handling in a memory device, the memory device and the controller thereof, and the associated electronic device are provided. The method may include: programming a codeword of a set of data into a non-volatile (NV) memory, wherein the codeword includes the set of data and a parity-check code; reading the codeword from a volatile memory to generate readout data of the codeword; determining whether the readout data is correct according to the readout version of the set of data and the readout version of the parity-check code; and when determining that the readout data is correct, outputting the readout version of the set of data as the set of data for further usage of the processing circuit, otherwise, sending a predetermined signal to the processing circuit and storing error information regarding the set of data into a register of the controller.

Abstract: A method for performing power saving control in memory device, the associated memory device and memory controller thereof, and the associated electronic device are provided, where the method is applicable to the memory controller, and the memory device includes the memory controller and a non-volatile (NV) memory. The method may include: during transmitting to a host device, sending end of burst (EOB)-related symbols to the host device, in order to notify the host device of EOB; controlling a physical layer (PHY) circuit to turn off a clock source within the PHY circuit, in order to save power, wherein the PHY circuit is positioned in a transmission interface circuit within the memory controller, and the transmission interface circuit is arranged to perform communications with the host device for the memory device; and when receiving a trigger signal from the host device, utilizing the PHY circuit to turn on the clock source.

Abstract: The present invention provides an encoding circuit of a flash memory controller, wherein the encoding circuit includes an auxiliary data generating circuit and an encoder. In the operations of the encoding circuit, the auxiliary data generating circuit is configured to receive a plurality of data chunks to generate auxiliary data corresponding to the data chunks. The encoder is configured to encode the data blocks to generate parity codes according to a parity check matrix, and to use the auxiliary data to replace a portion of the parity codes to generate adjusted parity codes, wherein the data chunks and the adjusted parity codes are written into a flash.

Abstract: A method of a flash controller to be coupled between a flash memory device and a host device is provided. The flash memory device has a plurality of blocks each having a plurality of pages, and the method comprises: receiving a trim/erase/unmap command from the host device; obtaining a storage space, which is to be erased, from the trim/erase/unmap command; comparing a space size of the storage space with a threshold to determine whether the space size is larger than the threshold; and resetting valid page counts of the plurality of blocks of the flash memory device when the space size is larger than the threshold.

Abstract: The invention introduces a method for executing host input-output (IO) commands, performed by a processing unit of a device side when loading and executing program code of a first layer, at least including: receiving a host IO command from a host side through a frontend interface; generating a slot bit table (SBT) including an entry according to the host IO command; creating a thread of a second layer; and sending addresses of callback functions and the SBT to the thread of the second layer, thereby enabling the thread of the second layer to call the callback functions according to the IO operation of the SBT for driving the frontend interface to interact with the host side to transmit user data read from a storage unit to the host side, or receive user data to be programmed into the storage unit from the host side.

Abstract: The data storage method includes selecting one of a plurality of blocks in a flash memory as an active block; dividing the active block into a plurality of virtual blocks; selecting and accessing one of the virtual blocks; and maintaining a mapping table corresponding to the selected virtual block. The mapping table records mapping information between a plurality of logical addresses and a plurality of physical addresses of the selected virtual block.

Abstract: The invention introduces an apparatus for generating a storage mapping table at least including a direct memory access controller for reading first physical location (PL) address corresponding to a logical location of the storage mapping table; an expanding circuit for obtaining the first PL address and expanding the first PL address into second PL address by appending data bits that originally provide different information from a physical address of the flash memory unit to the first PL address; and a controller for transmitting the second PL address without transmitting the first PL address stored in the flash memory unit to a host.