Abstract: Apparatus, and a related method for its operation, for generating multiple parallel streams of data from a large solid-state mass storage device, under the individual control of multiple users requesting the data streams. The apparatus includes a hardware interface table containing a user command and current memory address for each active user requesting data from storage. Memory array addressing logic cycles through the hardware interface table and generates multiple streams of memory array addresses based on the user commands and the current memory addresses, but without using a processor to generate the addresses. The address streams are directed to a memory array, from which are output multiple streams of corresponding data. User commands for selective control of each data stream are converted to new memory addresses, which are stored in the hardware interface table and almost instantly result in performance of requested control functions with respect to the data streams.

Abstract: A modular solid-state mass data storage device providing high-density, high capacity storage of numerous full-length movies for video server applications. The mass data storage device employs a modular pipeline architecture in which a distributed array of controller/memory modules is arranged in parallel controller/memory channels on one or more controller/memory cards. The modular pipeline architecture, in which each controller/memory channel has multiple controller/memory modules connected in a serial chain by address, data and control buses, allows the number of controller/memory modules in each channel and the number of controller/memory channels to be selected to accommodate a desired storage size and transfer rate, without an undesirably high latency time. An asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switch allows multiple viewers to access the movies stored in the mass data storage device with independent video cassette recorder (VCR)-like control of the movie being watched.

Abstract: A modular solid-state mass data storage device providing high-density, high-capacity storage of data employs a modular pipeline architecture in which a distributed array of controller/memory modules is arranged in parallel controller/memory channels on one or more controller/memory cards, each controller/memory channel having first and last controller/memory modules. The modular storage device also includes a data format module, and first and second busses connecting outputs of the data format module to inputs of each of the first and last controller/memory modules. The first bus also connects outputs of the last controller/memory module in each channel back to an input of the data format modules.