Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, and a spindle motor operable to rotate the disk. The spindle motor operates according to a plurality of electrical cycles over a single revolution of the spindle motor, where each electrical cycle spans a cycle period. A plurality of the cycle periods are measured, at least two of the cycle periods are combined, and a rotation speed of the spindle motor is measured based on the combined cycle periods.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk comprising tracks defined by servo sectors, a head, and control circuitry comprising a servo control system operable to actuate the head over the disk in response to the servo sectors. The head is loaded over the disk during a load operation, and a radial velocity of the head is determined during the load operation. A target track is generated based on the determined radial velocity of the head, and the servo control system seeks the head to the target track.

Abstract: An array may comprise a plurality of disk drives and a controller coupled to the plurality of drives. The controller may be configured to initiate spin-up of one or more first disk drives of the array; determine when each of the first disk drive(s) of the array for which spin-up was initiated reaches a predetermined spin rate that is less than a target spin rate at which the disk drive is ready to process data access commands; and initiate spin-up of one or more second disk drives of the array as the first disk drive(s) is determined to have reached the predetermined spin rate.

Abstract: A production failure analysis system including a factory quality control unit configured to transmit a trigger signal when a production failure is detected, and an analytics unit. The analytics unit is configured to determine a root cause of the production failure by at least receiving the trigger signal from a factory quality control unit, extracting production data from a database when the trigger signal is received, wherein the production data includes process input variables, and identifying one or more potential root causes of the production failure based in part on an analysis of the process input variables.

Abstract: The embodiments relate to transcoding, cataloging, and extracting metadata about files stored in a storage device. In one embodiment, a crawler runs on the storage device and maintains a database that is stored in the volume with the data that has been cataloged by the crawler. The crawler may discover files of any type and extract associated metadata about the files. The crawler can extract metadata about client interaction with various files, such as edits, play counts, etc. The crawler may discover files of any type and extract associated metadata about the files automatically during a scan or at the request of a client. In one embodiment, the crawler may be responsive to file system events that indicate changes to the file system, such as additions, deletions, or other types of changes. In addition, the crawler may synchronize the database with the file system so that they indicated the same state for a particular file.

Abstract: A storage device including a communications interface configured to receive data and power, a plurality of disk drives configured to be powered only by the power received by the communications interface, a controller configured to configure the plurality of disk drives as a redundant array of independent disks, a power regulator configured to transmit the received power from the communications interface to the plurality of disk drives, and a peak current reduction circuit configured to reduce peak current usage by the plurality of disk drives.

Abstract: Embodiments of decoding data stored in solid-state memory arrays are disclosed. In one embodiment, multiple read operations are performed while taking inter-cell interference (ICI) into account. Soft-decision information, such as log-likelihood ratios (LLRs), is determined by using known data and its corresponding multi-read output. Soft-decision information is provided to a detector. Reliability is improved and performance is increased.

Abstract: A de-swage machine for removal of a head of a head stack assembly including a tooling unit configured to receive a head stack assembly comprising a plurality of heads and an indicia, a blade module configured to remove a head from the head stack assembly, an indicia reader configured to read the indicia, and a controller. The controller is configured to select and remove a head from the head stack assembly by at least reading the indicia using the indicia reader, transmitting the indicia to a database, receiving head stack assembly information corresponding to the indicia from the database, selecting the head for removal based on the head stack assembly information, and removing the selected head using the blade module. The blade module can also include a force sensor, and the de-swage machine can also include an imaging unit.

Abstract: A data storage device comprises a non-volatile memory comprising a plurality of blocks, each configured to store a plurality of physical pages at predetermined physical locations. A controller programs and reads data stored in a plurality of logical pages. A volatile memory comprises a logical-to-physical address translation map configured to enabling determination of the physical location, within one or more physical pages, of the data stored in each logical page. A plurality of journals may be stored, each comprising a plurality of entries associating one or more physical pages to each logical page. At startup, the controller may read at least some of the plurality of journals in an order and rebuild the map; indicate a readiness to service data access commands after the map is rebuilt; rebuild a table from the map and, based thereon, select block(s) for garbage collection after having indicated the readiness to process the commands.

Abstract: A tester including a laser transmitter, a laser receiver, a zero reference plane located between the laser transmitter and the laser receiver, a tower reference plane located between the laser transmitter and the laser receiver, wherein the tower reference plane defines an aperture, and a controller. The controller is configured to measure a pitch static attitude of a head stack assembly by at least determining a zero axis, determining a first horizontal position of the aperture and a second horizontal position of the aperture, determining a mid-point of a first slider of the head stack assembly, determining a first vertical position of the aperture, determining a first horizontal line, and generating a pitch static attitude reference line corresponding to a pitch static attitude of the first slider based on a least squares approximation using the mid-point of the first slider and the first horizontal line.

Abstract: A storage device including a first storage unit including a first media of a first type, a second storage unit including a second media of a second type, and a controller. The controller initializes the storage device for a host by receiving an initialization query from the host, identifying, to the host, that the storage device comprises the second storage unit but not the first storage unit, receiving an indication from the host indicating that the host is compatible with the first storage unit, and identifying, to the host, that the storage device comprises the first storage unit and the second storage unit. The host initializes the storage device by initializing the second storage unit, transmitting the indication to the controller indicating that the host is compatible with the first storage unit, receiving the identification of the first storage unit from the controller, and initializing the first storage unit.

Abstract: Managing data stored in at least one data storage device (DSD) of a computer system where the at least one DSD includes at least one disk for storing data. A Linear Tape File System (LTFS) write or read command is generated including an LTFS block address. The LTFS block address is translated to a device address for the at least one DSD and data on a disk of the at least one DSD is written or read at the device address.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an architecture that pairs a controller with a NVM (non-volatile memory) storage system. The NVM storage system includes a bridge device that communicates with the controller. In one embodiment, the bridge device allows for certain data locations (blocks, pages or units at any other granularity) in the flash dies to be (1) placed into a reserved mode where data access is prevented (2) assigned into an SLC (Single-Level Cell) mode or an MLC (Multi-Level Cell) mode in response to controller command, (3) made available for data access after the assignment of mode. This flexibility enables the controller to increase SLC mode or MLC mode data locations based on run-time conditions. In one embodiment, the assignment of the reserved data locations is performed in a way to ensure that warranty conditions imposed by the memory vendors are observed.

Abstract: Priority-based garbage collection utilizes attributes of data stored in the non-volatile memory array in order to improve efficiency of garbage collection and of the overall data storage system. A set of low priority data can be selectively evicted from a non-volatile memory array. This can, for example, reduce write amplification associated with garbage collection. Another set of low priority data can be regrouped or consolidated in a different region of the non-volatile memory array. In addition, flushing of data can be performed in order to enhance or optimize garbage collection. Performance and endurance can thereby be improved.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments are directed to systems and methods for dynamic overprovisioning for data storage systems. In one embodiment, a data storage system can reserve a portion of memory, such as non-volatile solid-state memory, for overprovisioning. Depending on various overprovisioning factors, recovered storage space due to compressing user data can be allocated for storing user data and/or overprovisioning. Utilizing the disclosed dynamic overprovisioning systems and methods can result is more efficient utilization of cache memory, reduction of write amplification, increase in a cache hit rate, and the like. Improved data storage system performance and increased endurance and longevity can thereby be attained.

Abstract: An error management system for a data storage device can generate soft-decision log-likelihood ratios (LLRs) for upper and lower pages of memory cells in MLC solid-state media. Disclosed are systems and methods for generating lumped-LLR for upper pages, wherein at least some voltage threshold reads are linked together in order to reduce the number of reads. Efficiency and reliability are thereby improved.

Abstract: A method of replacing a first router with a second router within a network may comprise placing the second router in client mode within the network such that the second router is not configured to route network traffic and is configured to search for a network access point provided by the first router. A protocol may then be invoked on the first and second routers, the protocol being configured to enable an exchange of the network name and password information from the first router to the second router in client mode. The second router, in client mode, may be configured according to the obtained network name and password information. The second router may then be switched from client mode back to router mode and enabled to route network traffic on the network. The first router may then be replaced with the second router.

Abstract: In some embodiments of the present invention, a data storage system includes a controller and a non-volatile memory array having a plurality of memory pages. The controller performs a method that efficiently resolves the lower page corruption problem. In one embodiment, the method selects programmed lower page(s) for which paired upper page(s) have not been programmed, reads data from those selected lower page(s), corrects the read data, and reprograms the read data into those lower page(s). Since the number of lower pages in this condition is typically low (e.g., several pages in a block with hundreds or thousands of pages), this is a much more efficient method than reprogramming the entire block. In another embodiment, a similar reprogramming method is applied as a data recovery scheme in situations in which only lower pages are programmed (e.g., SLC memory, MLC memory in SLC mode, etc.).

Abstract: A data storage device may comprise a flash controller and an array of flash memory devices coupled to the flash controller. The array may comprise a plurality of S-Pages that may each comprise a plurality of F-Pages. In turn, each of the plurality of F-Pages may be configured to store a variable amount of data and a variable amount of error correction code. The flash controller may be configured to generate an error correction code across each F-Page of an S-Page and to store the generated error correction code within one or more F-Pages having the largest amount of data.

Abstract: A data storage system configured to implement a data reliability scheme is disclosed. In one embodiment, a data storage system controller detects uncorrectable errors using intra page parity when data units are read from a set of pages. When an uncorrectable error is detected, the data storage system controller attempts to recover user data using inter page parity without using all data from each page of the set of pages. Recovery of user data can thereby be performed without reading all data from each page. As a result, the amount of time needed to read data can be reduced in some cases and overall data storage system performance can be increased.