Integrated disc drive controller
View Patent ↗An integrated data storage control system provides, in a single integrated circuit, RDC, servo logic, ATA interface, microprocessor, and other formerly discrete components in one highly integrated system design. The integrated circuit is rendered using a single integrated circuit technology type (e.g., digital CMOS) for all components. Analog and digital circuits are combined in such a way as to eliminate or reduce noise or interference in digital circuits from analog circuit components. Individual elements may have their outputs and inputs MUXed together such that individual elements can be selectively switched (during testing modes) such that the integrated circuit emulates or behaves in the same or similar manner as one of the prior art components. The present invention may be applied to magnetic hard disk drives (HDDs) or other types of storage devices such as floppy disk controllers, optical disk drives (e.g., CD-ROMs and the like), tape drives, and other data storage devices.
1. In an optical disc drive having a laser for at least reading an optical disc, a spindle motor for moving the optical disc, an actuator for moving the laser relative to the optical disc, a read device preamplifier coupled to the laser, and a servo control coupled to the actuator for driving the actuator in response to control signals, an integrated optical disc drive controller integrated circuit comprising:
a host interface for interfacing with a host computer;
at least one internal communications and control bus, for transferring stored data and control data to and from elements within the integrated optical disc drive controller and interconnected with the host interface to transfer stored data and control data to and from the integrated optical disc drive controller;
a read device data processor, coupled to the read device preamplifier and the at least one internal communications and control bus, for receiving and processing read device data from the read device preamplifier;
motion control servo logic, coupled to the at least one internal communications and control bus, and to the servo control, for generating control signals for driving the servo control;
an optical disc controller, coupled to the at least one internal communications bus, for transferring stored data to the host interface; and
a microcontroller, coupled to the at least one internal communications bus, for generating control data to control devices within the integrated optical disc drive controller integrated circuit.
2. The integrated optical disc drive controller integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the optical disc drive comprises a CD-ROM drive and the optical disc comprises a CD-ROM.
3. The integrated optical disc drive controller integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the optical disc drive comprises a DVD drive, and the optical disc drive comprises a DVD.
4. The integrated optical disc drive controller integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the optical disc drive comprises a compact disc drive, and the optical disc comprises a compact disc.
5. The integrated optical disc drive controller integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the optical disc drive comprises a CD-R drive, and the optical disc comprises a CD-R.
6. The integrated optical disc drive controller integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the optical disc drive comprises a CD-RW drive, and the optical disc comprises a CD-RW.
7. In a floppy disk drive having a read-write head for at least reading a magnetic floppy disk, a spindle motor for moving the magnetic floppy disk, an actuator for moving the read/write head relative to the magnetic floppy disk, a read device preamplifier coupled to the read/write head, and a servo control coupled to the actuator for driving the actuator in response to control signals, an integrated floppy disk drive controller integrated circuit comprising:
a host interface for interfacing with a host computer;
at least one internal communications and control bus, for transferring stored data and control data to and from elements within the integrated floppy disk drive controller and interconnected with the host interface to transfer stored data and control data to and from the integrated floppy disk drive controller;
a read device data processor, coupled to the read device preamplifier and the at least one internal communications and control bus, for receiving and processing read device data from the read device preamplifier;
motion control servo logic, coupled to the at least one internal communications and control bus, and to the servo control, for generating control signals for driving the servo control;
a floppy disk controller, coupled to the at least one internal communications bus, for transferring stored data to the host interface; and
a microcontroller, coupled to the at least one internal communications bus, for generating control data to control devices within the integrated floppy disk drive controller integrated circuit.
8. An optical disc drive comprising:
a laser for at least reading an optical disc;
a spindle motor for moving the optical disc;
an actuator for moving the laser relative to the optical disc;
a read device preamplifier, coupled to the laser;
a servo control coupled to the actuator, for driving the actuator in response to control signals; and
an integrated optical disc drive controller integrated circuit comprising:
at least one internal communications and control bus, for transferring stored data and control data to and from elements within the integrated optical disc drive controller and with a host interface to transfer stored data and control data to and from the integrated optical disc drive controller;
a read device data processor, coupled to the read device preamplifier and the at least one internal communications and control bus, for receiving and processing read device data from the read device preamplifier;
motion control servo logic, coupled to the servo control, for generating control signals for driving the servo control;
an optical disc controller, coupled to the at least one internal communications bus, for transferring stored data to the host interface; and
a microcontroller, coupled to the at least one internal communications bus, for generating control data to control devices within the integrated optical disc drive controller integrated circuit.
9. The optical disc drive of claim 8 , wherein the optical disc drive comprises a CD-ROM drive and the optical disc comprises a CD-ROM.
10. The optical disc drive of claim 8 , wherein the optical disc drive comprises a DVD drive, and the optical disc comprises a DVD.
11. The optical disc drive of claim 8 , wherein the optical disc drive comprises a compact disc drive, and the optical disc comprises a compact disc,
12. The optical disc drive of claim 8 , wherein the optical disc drive comprises a CD-R drive, and the optical disc comprises a CD-R.
13. The optical disc drive of claim 8 , wherein the optical disc drive comprises a CD-RW drive, and the optical disc comprises a CDRW.
14. A floppy disk drive comprising:
a read/write head for at least reading a magnetic floppy disk;
a spindle motor for moving the magnetic floppy disk;
an actuator for moving the read/write head relative to the magnetic floppy disk;
a read device preamplifier, coupled to the read/write head;
a servo control coupled to the actuator, for driving the actuator in response to control signals; and
an integrated floppy disk drive controller integrated circuit comprising:
at least one internal communications and control bus, for transferring stored data and control data to and from elements within the integrated floppy disk drive controller and with a host interface to transfer stored data and control data to and from the integrated floppy disk drive controller;
a read device data processor, coupled to the read device preamplifier and the at least one internal communications and control bus, for receiving and processing read device data from the read device preamplifier;
motion control servo logic, coupled to the servo control, for generating control signals for driving the servo control;
a floppy disk controller, coupled to the at least one internal communications bus, for transferring stored data to the host interface; and
a microcontroller, coupled to the at least one internal communications bus, for generating control data to control devices within the integrated floppy disk drive controller integrated circuit.
15. In an optical disc drive having a laser for at least reading an optical disc, a spindle motor for moving the optical disc, an actuator for moving the laser relative to the optical disc, a read device preamplifier, coupled to the laser, a servo control coupled to the actuator, for driving the actuator in response to control signals, an integrated optical disc drive controller integrated circuit comprising at least one internal communications and control bus, for transferring stored data and control data to and from elements within the integrated optical disc drive controller and interconnected with a host interface to transfer stored data and control data to and from the integrated optical disc drive controller, a read device data processor, coupled to the read device preamplifier and the at least one internal communications and control bus, for receiving and processing read device data from the read device preamplifier, motion control servo logic, coupled to the servo control, for generating control signals for driving the servo control, an optical disc controller, coupled to the at least one internal communications bus, for transferring stored data to the host interface, and a microcontroller, coupled to the at least one internal communications bus, for generating control data to control devices within the integrated optical disc drive controller integrated circuit, a method of testing the integrated circuit data optical disc drive controller, comprising the step of:
selectively multiplexing outputs of one or more of the optical disc controller, the microcontroller, and the read device data processor with one or more I/O pins such that the integrated circuit may selectively output signals from one or more of the optical disc controller, the microcontroller, and read device data processor.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the optical disc drive comprises a CD-ROM drive and the optical disc comprises a CD-ROM.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the optical disc drive comprises a DVD drive, and the optical disc comprises a DVD.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the optical disc drive comprises a compact disc drive, and the optical disc comprises a compact disc.
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the optical disc drive comprises a CD-R drive, and the optical disc comprises a CD-R.
20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the optical disc drive comprises a CD-RW drive, and the optical disc comprises a CD-RW.
21. In a floppy disk drive having a read/write head for at least reading a magnetic floppy disk, a spindle motor for moving the magnetic floppy disk, an actuator for moving the read/write head relative to the magnetic floppy disk, a read device preamplifier, coupled to the read/write head, a servo control coupled to the actuator, for driving the actuator in response to control signals, an integrated floppy disk drive controller integrated circuit comprising at least one internal communications and control bus, for transferring stored data and control data to and from elements within the integrated floppy disk drive controller and interconnected with a host interface to transfer stored data and control data to and from the integrated floppy disk drive controller, a read device data processor, coupled to the read device preamplifier and the at least one internal communications and control bus, for receiving and processing read device data from the read device preamplifier, motion control servo logic, coupled to the servo control, for generating control signals for driving the servo control, a floppy disk controller, coupled to the at least one internal communications bus, for transferring stored data to the host interface, and a microcontroller, coupled to the at least one internal communications bus, for generating control data to control devices within the integrated floppy disk drive controller integrated circuit, a method of testing the integrated circuit floppy disk drive controller, comprising the step of:
selectively multiplexing outputs of one or more of the floppy disk controller, the microcontroller, and the read device data processor with one or more I/O pins such that the integrated circuit may selectively output signals from one or more of the disc controller, the microcontroller, and read device data processor.