Abstract: A data storage device restoring method is provided, which is adapted to a data storage device. The data storage device includes an SSD controller, a power management circuit, a non-volatile memory, and a reset circuit. The data storage device restoring method includes: the power management circuit determines whether a normal signal from the SSD controller is received within a predetermined time; if not, the power management circuit resupplies power to the data storage device but stops supplying power to the non-volatile memory, thereby the SSD controller stays in a read-only memory mode to automatically execute the data storage device restoring process.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a method for managing a plurality of memory units in a flash memory module. The method includes: creating a programed timestamp corresponding to each first memory unit according to a data-written time of said each first memory unit; selecting a corresponding read-retry table for performing a read operation upon said each first memory unit according to the programed timestamp of said each first memory unit; and performing a first refresh operation according to program timestamps of first memory units that have been written with data.

Abstract: A technology for controlling non-volatile memory with a multi-stage controller is shown. The multi-stage controller uses an upper on-chip interconnect and a lower on-chip interconnect and includes a serial peripheral bus (SPI) loader, a frond-end central processing unit (FE CPU), and an arbitrator. When being connected to the lower on-chip interconnect, the SPI loader performs code loading for the multi-stage controller. After the SPI loader finishes the code loading, the SPI loader is disconnected from the lower-stage on-chip bus, and the arbitrator connects the FE CPU to the lower on-chip interconnect. This way, the communication channel between the upper on-chip interconnect and the lower on-chip interconnect is not occupied by the FE CPU.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing disk management of an all flash array (AFA) server are provided. The method may include: utilizing a disk manager module among multiple program modules running on any node of multiple nodes of the AFA server to trigger a hardware layer of the any node to perform disk switching control in HA architecture of the AFA server, for controlling the any node to enable a set of disk switching paths between the any node and a group of storage devices among multiple sets of disk switching paths between the multiple nodes and multiple groups of storage devices; and utilizing the disk manager module to perform multiple groups of operations respectively corresponding to multiple disk pools in a parallel processing manner, for managing the group of storage devices with the multiple disk pools, wherein the multiple disk pools may include active, inserted, and failure disk pools.

Abstract: A flash memory method includes: classifying data into a plurality of groups of data; respectively executing error code encoding to generate first corresponding parity check code to store the groups of data and first corresponding parity check code into flash memory module as first blocks; reading out the groups of data from first blocks; executing error correction and de-randomize operation upon read out data to generate de-randomized data; executing randomize operation upon de-randomized data according to a set of seeds to generate randomized data; performing error code encoding upon randomized data to generate second corresponding parity check code; and, storing randomized data and second corresponding parity check code into flash memory module as second block; a cell of first block is used for storing data of first bit number which is different from second bit number corresponding to a cell of second block.

Abstract: The present invention provides a memory controller configured to access a plurality of channels, wherein each of the channels includes a plurality flash memory chips, and the memory controller includes a flash translation layer and a plurality of control modules. The flash translation layer is configured to generate commands with corresponding physical addresses of at least one of the channels. The plurality of control modules are connected to the plurality of channels, respectively, and each of the control modules operates independently to receive the corresponding command with the corresponding physical address from the flash translation layer, to access the flash memory chips within the corresponding channels.

Abstract: A method of managing a garbage collection (GC) operation on a flash memory includes: setting a GC starting threshold, wherein the GC starting threshold indicates a predetermined spare block number that is higher than a target spare block number of spare blocks maintained by a flash translation layer (FTL) of the flash memory; determining whether to start the GC operation according to a current number of spare blocks in the flash memory and the GC starting threshold; and performing the GC operation on a source block in the flash memory when the current number of spare blocks is lower than or equal to the GC starting threshold.

Abstract: The invention introduces a method for configuring a reliable command, performed by a flash controller, including: issuing an enabling signal to an output device, where the flash controller and the output device are disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB) and intercoupled through wires in the PCB; reading an opcode of the reliable command corresponding to a flash module from the output device, where the flash module is disposed on the PCB and coupled to the flash controller through circuits in the PCB, and the reliable command is used to direct the flash module for access to data in a single level cell (SLC) mode; and stopping issuing the enabling signal to the output device after obtaining the opcode of the reliable command.

Abstract: A method for performing access management of a memory device in predetermined communications architecture with aid of flexible delay time control and associated apparatus are provided. The method may include: utilizing at least one upper layer controller of a transmission interface circuit within the memory controller to dynamically set a delay parameter regarding transmission from the memory device to a host device, for preventing sleeping in delay time(s) corresponding to the delay parameter; utilizing a physical layer (PHY) circuit of the transmission interface circuit to transmit first data from the memory device to the host device, wherein a first delay time starts from a first time point at which transmitting the first data from the memory device to the host device is completed; and utilizing the PHY circuit to start transmitting second data from the memory device to the host device in the first delay time without restarting from sleeping.

Abstract: A data storage device is provided. The data storage device includes a flash memory and a controller. The flash memory stores a firmware that includes a plurality of mode page settings, and each mode page setting includes a plurality of mode parameters. The controller receives a mode selection command and a data out message arranged to rewrite a first mode page setting among the plurality of mode page settings from a host. The controller determines whether the data out message will change the mode parameters which cannot be rewritten in the first mode page setting by performing bitwise logic operations on a new mode page setting in the data out message, preset values of the plurality of mode parameters of the first mode page setting, and a rewriteable setting for each bit of the first mode page setting.

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 non-volatile memory control technology. In response to a read command, a non-volatile memory interface controller temporarily stores data read from a non-volatile memory to a system memory and, accordingly, asserts a flag in the system memory. Through a write channel provided by the interconnect bus, the host bridge controller confirms that the flag is asserted to correctly read the data from the system memory. A master computing unit reads the system memory through a read channel provided by the interconnect bus, without being delayed by the status checking of the flag. The host bridge controller executes a data detection command or a preset vendor command to issue a write request for programming data in a virtual address, to trigger a handshake between the host bridge controller and the system memory through the write channel. During the handshake, flag checking is achieved.

Abstract: A flash memory initialization method executed by a flash memory initialization device to initialize a flash memory device having a flash memory and a flash memory controller includes: determining an acceptable maximum number N of candidate addresses; determining a number M of different capacity sizes; classifying the candidate addresses into M portions; determining a difference value between two address values of any two adjacent addresses among the m-th portion of candidate addresses; determining multiple address values of the m-th portion of candidate addresses according to the difference value; and determining actual addresses of the m-th portion of candidate addresses according to the multiple address values; and controlling the flash memory controller to write the boot up information into at least one storage location corresponding to at least one of the m-th portion of candidate addresses according to the actual addresses.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods, and an apparatus for data reads in a host performance acceleration (HPA) mode. One method is performed by a host side to include: issuing a switch command to a flash controller to request the flash controller to activate an HPA function, and an acquisition function for a logical-block-address to physical-block-address (L2P) mapping table; issuing a write_multiple_block command to the flash controller to transfer a data block to a flash controller, where the data block includes a region number and a sub-region number; issuing a read_multiple_block command to the flash controller to obtain a plurality of L2P mapping entries corresponding to the region number and the sub-region number from the flash controller. The host side and the flash controller communicate with each other in an embedded multi-media card (eMMC) protocol.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods, and an apparatus for data reads in a host performance acceleration (HPA) mode. One method is performed by a host side to include: searching an HPA buffer in a system memory for a logical-block-address to physical-block-address (L2P) mapping entry corresponding to a logical block address (LBA); issuing a switch command to a flash controller to request the flash controller to activate an HPA function, and does not activate an acquisition function for an L2P mapping table, where the host side and the flash controller communicate with each other in an embedded multi-media card (eMMC) protocol; issuing a write_multiple_block command to the flash controller to transfer a first data block to the flash controller, which includes the first L2P mapping entry; and issuing a read_multiple_block command to obtain data corresponding to the first L2P mapping entry from the flash controller.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and an apparatus for debugging a solid-state disk (SSD) device. The method is performed by a processing unit of a single-board personal computer (PC) to include: simulating to issue a first Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) command through a General-Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) interface (I/F) to the SSD device for stopping a running of a processing unit of a flash controller in the SSD device; simulating to issue a second JTAG command through the GPIO I/F to the SSD device for forcing the SSD device to exit a sleep mode; and simulating to issue a third JTAG command through the GPIO I/F to the SSD device for reading a designated length of data from a static random access memory (SRAM) in the SSD device.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a system for debugging a solid-state disk (SSD) device. The apparatus includes a Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) add-on board; and a Raspberry Pi. The Raspberry Pi includes a General-Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) interface (I/F), coupled to the JTAG add-on board; and a processing unit, coupled to the GPIO I/F. The processing unit is arranged operably to: simulate to issue a plurality of JTAG command through the GPIO I/F to the SSD device for dumping data generated by the SSD device during operation from the SSD device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method, an apparatus and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for debugging a solid-state disk (SSD) device. The method is performed by a processing unit of a single-board personal computer (PC) when loading and executing a function of a runtime library, to include: receiving a request to drive a General-Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) interface (I/F), which includes a parameter required for completing a Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) command; issuing a first hardware instruction to the GPIO I/F to set a register corresponding to a GPIO test data input (TDI) pin according to the parameter carried in the request for emulating to issue the JTAG command to a solid-state disk (SSD) device, wherein the single-board PC is coupled to the SSD device through the GPIO I/F; issuing a second hardware instruction to the GPIO I/F to read a value of the register corresponding to the GPIO TDI pin; and replying with a completion message in response to the request.

Abstract: An exemplary method for reading data stored in a flash memory includes: selecting an initial gate voltage combination from a plurality of predetermined gate voltage combination options; controlling a plurality of memory units in the flash memory according to the initial gate voltage combination, and reading a plurality of bit sequences; performing a codeword error correction upon the plurality of bit sequences, and determining if the codeword error correction successful; if the codeword error correction is not successful, determining an electric charge distribution parameter; determining a target gate voltage combination corresponding to the electric charge distribution parameter by using a look-up table; and controlling the plurality of memory units to read a plurality of updated bit sequences according to the target gate voltage combination.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for executing host commands, which is performed by a host interface in a flash controller, to include: determining whether a preset number of successive unaligned host long-write commands have been detected, where a first starting logical block address (LBA) number of data to be written, which is requested by each unaligned host long-write command, does not align with a first physical page of one super page; if so, calculating an offset, so that a second starting LBA number of data to be written, which is requested by a host write command, plus the offset aligns with a first physical page of one super page; generating a third starting LBA number by adding the offset to the second starting LBA number; and storing an entry in an LBA shifting table, which includes information about the second starting LBA number and the offset.