Defect scan and manufacture test
A method for detecting a defect in a portion of a storage device is disclosed. Reference data and data read from the portion are compared to determine a number of error bits and a number of error symbols. An error ratio is computed, wherein the error ratio comprises a ratio of the number of error bits to the number of error symbols. A defect is detected based on whether the error ratio exceeds a threshold. In some embodiments, the reference data and the read data are compared to determine an error vector, wherein a bit in the error vector with a value one indicates a bit error in the read data. For each of a plurality of windows of the error vector, a corresponding number of error bits is determined. A defect is detected based on whether any of the numbers of error bits exceeds a threshold.
1. A system for determining whether a portion of a storage device includes a defect, comprising:
a processor configured to:
read data from the portion of the storage device;
correct the read data using a decoder;
obtain reference data associated with the portion;
compare the reference data and the read data to determine a number of error bits and a number of error symbols associated with the portion;
compute an error ratio, wherein the error ratio comprises a ratio of the determined number of error bits to the determined number of error symbols; and
determine whether the portion includes a defect based at least in part on whether the error ratio exceeds a first threshold, wherein the first threshold is selected based at least in part on a first estimated error ratio for a defect-free portion of the storage device, wherein the first estimated error ratio is calculated based on an assumption that a majority of error events associated with the defect-free portion include single-bit errors, di-bit errors, and tri-bit errors; and
a communication interface coupled to the processor.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the decoder is a low-density parity-check (LDPC) decoder.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the storage device comprises a sector of the storage device.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first threshold is selected based at least in part on a second estimated error ratio for a portion of the storage device with a defect, wherein the second estimated error ratio is calculated based on an assumption that half of the bits in a symbol are in error.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first threshold is selected to be a value between the first estimated error ratio and the second estimated error ratio.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the portion includes a defect based at least in part on whether the number of error bits exceeds a second threshold.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the second threshold is determined based at least in part on an estimate of a number of observable error events.
8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the second threshold is determined based at least in part on a correction power of an LDPC decoder used for decoding the data associated with the portion.
9. A method for determining whether a portion of a storage device includes a defect, comprising:
reading data from the portion of the storage device;
correcting the read data using a decoder;
obtaining reference data associated with the portion;
comparing the reference data and the read data to determine a number of error bits and a number of error symbols associated with the portion;
computing an error ratio, wherein the error ratio comprises a ratio of the determined number of error bits to the determined number of error symbols; and
determining whether the portion includes a defect based at least in part on whether the error ratio exceeds a first threshold, wherein the first threshold is selected based at least in part on a first estimated error ratio for a defect-free portion of the storage device, wherein the first estimated error ratio is calculated based on an assumption that a majority of error events associated with the defect-free portion include single-bit errors, di-bit errors, and tri-bit errors.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first threshold is selected based at least in part on a second estimated error ratio for a portion of the storage device with a defect, wherein the second estimated error ratio is calculated based on an assumption that half of the bits in a symbol are in error.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first threshold is selected to be a value between the first estimated error ratio and the second estimated error ratio.
12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining whether the portion includes a defect based at least in part on whether the number of error bits exceeds a second threshold.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second threshold is determined based at least in part on an estimate of a number of observable error events.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second threshold is determined based at least in part on a correction power of an LDPC decoder used for decoding the data associated with the portion.
15. A computer program product for determining whether a portion of a storage device includes a defect, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:
reading data from the portion of the storage device;
correcting the read data using a decoder;
obtaining reference data associated with the portion;
comparing the reference data and the read data to determine a number of error bits and a number of error symbols associated with the portion;
computing an error ratio, wherein the error ratio comprises a ratio of the determined number of error bits to the determined number of error symbols; and
determining whether the portion includes a defect based at least in part on whether the error ratio exceeds a first threshold, wherein the first threshold is selected based at least in part on a first estimated error ratio for a defect-free portion of the storage device, wherein the first estimated error ratio is calculated based on an assumption that a majority of error events associated with the defect-free portion include single-bit errors, di-bit errors, and tri-bit errors.
16. A system for determining whether a portion of a storage device includes a defect, comprising:
a processor configured to:
read data from the portion of the storage device;
correct the read data using a decoder;
obtain reference data associated with the portion;
compare the reference data and the read data to determine an error vector, wherein a bit in the error vector with a value one indicates a bit error in the read data;
determine for each of a plurality of windows of the error vector a corresponding number of error bits; and
determine whether the portion includes a defect based at least in part on whether any of the numbers of error bits exceeds a threshold, wherein the threshold is a percentage of a size of one of the plurality of windows in bits; and
a communication interface coupled to the processor.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein a size of one of the plurality of windows is selected based at least in part on a correction power of an LDPC decoder used for decoding the data associated with the portion.
18. The system of claim 16 , wherein a size of one of the plurality of windows is selected based at least in part on a length of a defect to be detected.
19. A method for determining whether a portion of a storage device includes a defect, comprising:
reading data from the portion of the storage device;
correcting the read data using a decoder;
obtaining reference data associated with the portion;
comparing the reference data and the read data to determine an error vector, wherein a bit in the error vector with a value one indicates a bit error in the read data;
determining for each of a plurality of windows of the error vector a corresponding number of error bits; and
determining whether the portion includes a defect based at least in part on whether any of the numbers of error bits exceeds a threshold, wherein the threshold is a percentage of a size of one of the plurality of windows in bits.
20. A computer program product for determining whether a portion of a storage device includes a defect, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:
reading data from the portion of the storage device;
correcting the read data using a decoder;
obtaining reference data associated with the portion;
comparing the reference data and the read data to determine an error vector, wherein a bit in the error vector with a value one indicates a bit error in the read data;
determining for each of a plurality of windows of the error vector a corresponding number of error bits; and
determining whether the portion includes a defect based at least in part on whether any of the numbers of error bits exceeds a threshold, wherein the threshold is a percentage of a size of one of the plurality of windows in bits.