Digital device configuration and method
View Patent ↗An electromechanical data storage arrangement is interfaced with a host. The interface may include a conductor that carries read and write gate signals. Another conductor carries both a servo sync mark and an error signal. The storage arrangement includes an external serial interface connected to a host serial interface applying a device identification to a portion of serial control-related data that travels over the interface. A serial router in the storage arrangement uses the device identification to manage the control-related data between the interface and a number of serial devices and associated interfaces within the storage arrangement. The serial router is in selective data communication with each of the device serial interfaces, for using the device identification to direct a host-asserted command to a targeted device where each device is controlled by a different command set such that the system can be customized for different command sets of different devices.
1. In a digital system, an assembly comprising:
an electromechanical digital data storage arrangement including a rotatable disk and which is responsive to a read gate signal for initiating a read therefrom and responsive to a write gate signal for initiating a write thereto;
a host device that is configured for controlling the data storage arrangement and for generating said read gate signal and said write gate signal in a mutually exclusive way; and
an interface electrically interconnecting the data storage arrangement and the host device using a plurality of electrical conductors such that a selected one of the conductors is multiplexed to carry both the read gate signal and the write gate signal.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein said electromechanical storage arrangement is configured for storing servo information and user data on the rotatable disk and for generating a servo synchronization signal responsive to handling said servo information and for generating an error signal responsive to detection of an error relating at least to said user data and said host device is configured for controlling the data storage arrangement, at least in part, by using said servo synchronization signal and said error signal, and said interface includes a particular one of the conductors which carries both the servo synchronization signal and the error signal in a mutually exclusive manner.
3. In a digital system, a method comprising:
providing an electromechanical digital data storage arrangement including a rotatable disk and being at least responsive to a read gate signal for initiating a read therefrom and responsive to a write gate signal for initiating a write thereto;
configuring a host device for controlling the data storage arrangement and for generating said read gate signal and said write gate signal in a mutually exclusive way; and
arranging an interface for electrically interconnecting the data storage arrangement and the host device using a plurality of electrical conductors such that a selected one of the conductors is multiplexed to carry both the read gate signal and the write gate signal.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein said electromechanical storage arrangement is configured for storing servo information and user data on the rotatable disk and for generating a servo synchronization signal responsive to handling said servo information and for generating an error signal responsive to detection of an error relating at least to said user data and said host device is configured for controlling the data storage arrangement, at least in part, by using said servo synchronization signal and said error signal, and the step of arranging the interface includes the step of using a particular one of the conductors to carry both the servo synchronization signal and the error signal in a mutually exclusive manner.
5. In a digital system, an assembly comprising:
an electromechanical digital data storage arrangement including a rotatable disk having servo information and user data storable thereon and configured for generating a servo synchronization signal responsive to said servo information and at least for generating an error signal responsive to detection of an error relating to said user data;
a host device that is configured for controlling the data storage arrangement, at least in part, by using said servo synchronization signal and said error signal; and
an interface electrically interconnecting the data storage arrangement and the host device using a plurality of electrical conductors such that a selected one of the conductors is multiplexed to carry both the servo synchronization signal and the error signal in a mutually exclusive manner.
6. In a digital system, a method comprising:
providing an electromechanical digital data storage arrangement including a rotatable disk having servo information and user data storable thereon and configured for generating a servo synchronization signal responsive to said servo information and at least for generating an error signal responsive to detection of an error relating to said user data;
configuring a host device for controlling the data storage arrangement, at least in part, by using said servo synchronization signal and said error signal; and
arranging an interface to electrically interconnect the data storage arrangement and the host device using a plurality of electrical conductors such that a selected one of the conductors is multiplexed to carry both the servo synchronization signal and the error signal in a mutually exclusive manner.
7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the electromechanical digital storage arrangement includes a section for distinguishing whether the read gate signal or the write gate signal is present on the selected one of the conductors.
8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein said section includes a demultiplexer which has an input that is connected to the selected conductor and discrete outputs for the read gate signal and the write gate signal.
9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein a selection line of the demultiplexer is connected to a register bit in the electromechanical digital data storage arrangement such that one state of the register bit is indicative of the presence of the road gate signal and an opposite state of the register bit is indicative of the write gate signal on the selected conductor for establishing whether the read gate signal or the write gate signal is present.
10. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the error signal is delayed to make the error signal mutually exclusive from the servo synchronization signal.
11. The system of claim 2 wherein said host device generates a servo gate signal and a selection line of a multiplexer is connected to the servo gate signal to serve as a select enable signal for distinguishing whether the servo synchronization signal or the error signal is present on the selected conductor at any given time.
12. The method of claim 3 wherein said electromechanical digital data storage arrangement includes a section for distinguishing whether the read gate signal or the write gate signal is present on the selected one of the conductors.
13. The method of claim 12 including configuring said section to include a demultiplexer and connecting an input of the demultiplexer to the selected conductor and providing discrete outputs for the read gate signal and the write gate signal from the demultiplexer.
14. The method of claim 13 including interfacing a selection line the demultiplexer to a register bit in the electromechanical digital data storage arrangement such that one state of the register bit is indicative of the presence of the read gate signal and an opposite state of the register bit is indicative of the write gate signal on the selected conductor for establishing whether the read gate signal or the write gate signal is present for use on the discrete outputs.
15. The method of claim 4 wherein the error signal is delayed relative to a time when the electromechanical storage arrangement generates the error signal to make the error signal mutually exclusive from the servo synchronization signal.
16. The method of claim 4 including generating a servo gate signal with the host device and connecting a selection line of a multiplexer to the servo gate signal to serve as a select enable signal for distinguishing whether the servo synchronization signal or the error signal is present on the selected conductor at any given time.
17. The assembly of claim 5 wherein said electromechanical digital data storage arrangement includes a multiplexing section which is configured for selectively placing the servo synchronization signal and the error signal on the selected conductor in the mutually exclusive manner.
18. The assembly of claim 5 wherein the electromechanical digital storage arrangement includes a section for distinguishing whether the servo synchronization signal or the error signal is present on the selected one of the conductors.
19. The assembly of claim 5 wherein the electromechanical digital data storage arrangement includes a multiplexer which has a first input for receiving the servo synchronization signal and a second input for receiving the error signal and an output which in connected to place the servo synchronization signal and the error signal on the selected conductor in to mutually exclusive manner.
20. The assembly of claim 19 wherein the host device generates a servo gate signal and a selection line of the multiplexer is connected to the servo gate signal to serve as a select enable signal to distinguish whether the servo synchronization signal or the error signal is present on the selected conductor at any given time.
21. The method of claim 6 wherein said electromechanical digital data storage arrangement is provided with a multiplexing section which is configured for selectively placing the servo synchronization signal and to error signal on the selected conductor in the mutually exclusive manner.
22. The method of claim 6 including arranging a multiplexer in the electromechanical digital data storage arrangement having a first input for receiving the servo synchronization signal and a second input for receiving the error signal and connecting an output of the multiplexer to place the servo synchronization signal and the error signal on the selected conductor in the mutually exclusive manner for transfer to the host device.
23. The method of claim 22 including generating a servo gate signal with the host device and connecting a selection line of the multiplexer to the servo gate signal to serve as a select enable signal for distinguishing whether the servo synchronization signal or the error signal is present on the selected conductor at any given time.
24. The method of claim 6 wherein the error signal is delayed relative to a time when the electromechanical storage arrangement generates the error signal to make the error signal mutually exclusive from the servo synchronization signal.