NAND flash memory system architecture
View Patent ↗A data storage device includes a NAND flash memory, an executable interface and a controller for receiving, from a host, via the executable interface, an instruction to access the NAND flash memory at a virtual address and for translating the virtual address to a physical address of the volatile memory. Preferably, the controller also provides boot functionality to the host.
1. A data storage device comprising:
an executable interface configured to be coupled to a host device; and
a flash memory storing an operating system including multiple drivers, wherein the multiple drivers include a first driver;
wherein the multiple drivers are stored in the flash memory and are retrievable by a host processor of the host device,
wherein the first driver, after being copied to the host device, enables the host processor of the host device to emulate an interface protocol on top of the executable interface, and
wherein the emulated interface protocol enables an application or the operating system executed by the host processor to access the flash memory.
2. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the emulated interface protocol is a secure digital (SD) interface protocol, a universal serial bus (USB) interface protocol, a multimedia memory card (MMC) interface protocol, or a compact flash (CF) interface protocol.
3. The data storage device of claim 1 , further comprising a controller, wherein the controller includes a random access memory (RAM), the controller configured to:
retrieve boot code from the flash memory and store the boot code in the RAM;
provide the boot code from the RAM to the host device via the executable interface upon startup of the host device; and
upload the first driver to the host device in response to the host processor executing the boot code.
4. The data storage device of claim 3 , wherein, after the first driver is uploaded to the host device, the controller is further configured to upload a remainder of the operating system stored in the flash memory.
5. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the emulated interface protocol is a secure digital (SD) interface protocol.
6. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the emulated interface protocol is a universal serial bus (USB) interface protocol.
7. The data storage device of claim 1 , wherein the emulated interface protocol is a standard interface protocol.
8. The data storage device of claim 7 , wherein the emulated interface protocol enables the application or the operating system to access the flash memory using a standard driver available in the operating system.
9. The data storage device of claim 8 , wherein the standard driver is included in the multiple drivers.
10. The data storage device of claim 8 , wherein the standard driver is available in the operating system for accessing a device that has a standard interface.
11. The data storage device of claim 10 , wherein the standard interface is a universal serial bus (USB) interface or a secure digital (SD) interface.
12. The data storage device of claim 11 , wherein the standard interface is the USB interface and the standard driver is a USB driver.
13. The data storage device of claim 11 , wherein the standard interface is the SD interface and the standard driver is a SD driver.
14. A method of operating a data storage device, the method comprising:
in a data storage device with a controller, a flash memory, and an executable interface, performing
providing, from the data storage device to a host device, a plurality of drivers of an operating system stored in the flash memory, wherein the plurality of drivers includes a first driver,
wherein the first driver, after being copied to the host device, enables a host processor of the host device to emulate an interface protocol on top of the executable interface, and
wherein the emulated interface protocol enables an application or the operating system executed at the host processor to access the flash memory; and
communicating with the host processor of the host device via the emulated interface protocol.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the flash memory is a NAND flash memory.
16. A method comprising:
at a host device of a non-volatile storage device that includes an executable interface and a flash memory, the flash memory of the non-volatile storage device storing an operating system including multiple drivers, performing:
receiving, from the non-volatile storage device, the multiple drivers, wherein the multiple drivers include a first driver; and
emulating, at a host processor of the host device, an interface protocol on top of the executable interface after the first driver is copied to the host device,
wherein the host processor emulates the interface protocol based on the first driver,
wherein the emulated interface protocol enables an application or the operating system executed at the host processor to access the flash memory.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the flash memory is a NAND flash memory.