IP Library Granted Patent US 12,142,304
Granted Patent B2
US 12,142,304 · App. 18/009,808 · Granted Nov 12, 2024

Hard disk status testing apparatus and method

Inventor: Jinbo Chi (Jiangsu, CN)
Assignee: INSPUR SUZHOU INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
G11B27/36G06F11/2273G11B2220/2516
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,142,304
App. No.
18/009,808
Granted
Nov 12, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A hard disk status testing apparatus, including: a voltage reading module, a controller, an analogue switch, and multiple hard disk slot units. Each hard disk slot unit includes: a hard disk status testing module and a hard disk status indication module. The hard disk status testing modules and the hard disk status indication modules among different hard disk slot units are time-multiplexed, achieving independent control of the hard disk status testing modules of different hard disk slot units and independent control of the hard disk status indication modules of different hard disk slot units. A hard disk status testing method that effectively solves the problem of an increase in the number of pins needed for hard disk status testing and status indication, thus effectively decreasing hardware costs and increasing the utilization rate of pin resources.

Claims (113)

1. A hard disk status testing apparatus, comprising a voltage reading module, a controller, an analogue switch, and multiple hard disk slot units, wherein each hard disk slot unit of the multiple hard disk slot units comprises:

a hard disk status testing module and a hard disk status indication module, wherein the hard disk status testing module comprises: a first presence testing terminal, a second presence testing terminal, an activity status testing terminal, a pull-up resistor, a first testing resistor, a second testing resistor, and a third testing resistor; the first presence testing terminal is connected to a first end of the first testing resistor; a first path of a second end of the first testing resistor is connected to a power supply through the pull-up resistor, and a second path of the second end of the first testing resistor is connected to an input end of the analogue switch; the second presence testing terminal is connected to a first end of the second testing resistor; a first path of a second end of the second testing resistor is connected to the power supply through the pull-up resistor, and a second path of the second end of the second testing resistor is connected to the input end of the analogue switch; the activity status testing terminal is connected to a first end of the third testing resistor; a first path of a second end of the third testing resistor is connected to the power supply through the pull-up resistor, and a second path of the second end of the third testing resistor is connected to the input end of the analogue switch; a testing output end of each hard disk status testing module is connected to the input end of the analogue switch; an output end of the analogue switch is connected to an input end of the voltage reading module; a control input end of each hard disk status indication module is connected to a control output end of the controller; and the hard disk status testing modules and the hard disk status indication modules among different hard disk slot units of the multiple hard disk slot units are time-multiplexed, achieving independent control of the hard disk status testing modules among the different hard disk slot units and independent control of the hard disk status indication modules among the different hard disk slot units.

2. The hard disk status testing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein resistance values of the pull-up resistor, the first testing resistor, the second testing resistor and the third testing resistor are different from each other.

3. The hard disk status testing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the hard disk status testing modules among the different hard disk slot units are selected by the analogue switch to achieve time multiplexing.

4. The hard disk status testing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage reading module is a control chip with an analog-digital conversion (ADC) function.

5. The hard disk status testing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the hard disk status indication module comprises: a first status indicator lamp, a second status indicator lamp, a third status indicator lamp, a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor, and a current-limiting resistor; a first path of a positive pole of the first status indicator lamp is connected to the power supply through the pull-up resistor, and a second path of the positive pole of the first status indicator lamp is connected to the control output end of the controller; a negative pole of the first status indicator lamp is connected to a drain of the MOS transistor; a gate of the MOS transistor is connected to a first enable control output end of the controller through the current-limiting resistor; a source of the MOS transistor is grounded; a first path of a positive pole of the second status indicator lamp is connected to the power supply through a second pull-up resistor, and a second path of the positive pole of the second status indicator lamp is connected to the control output end of the controller; a negative pole of the second status indicator lamp is connected to the drain of the MOS transistor; a first path of a positive pole of the third status indicator lamp is connected to the power supply through a third pull-up resistor, and a second path of the positive pole of the third status indicator lamp is connected to the control output end of the controller; and a negative pole of the third status indicator lamp is connected to the drain of the MOS transistor.

6. The hard disk status testing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the gate of the MOS transistor in each hard disk status indication module is connected to the first enable control output end of the controller through the current-limiting resistor in a one-to-one correspondence manner.

7. The hard disk status testing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein a time-multiplexing control end of each hard disk status indication module is connected to a time-multiplexing control output end of the controller.

8. A hard disk status testing method, implemented on the hard disk status testing apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:

by the voltage reading module, selecting a corresponding hard disk slot unit of the multiple hard disk slot units through the analogue switch, acquiring a voltage output value and a duration cycle in the hard disk status testing module in the corresponding hard disk slot unit, and determining, according to the voltage output value and the duration cycle, a presence status, an activity status and a hard disk type of a hard disk in a hard disk slot; and

by the controller, selecting the hard disk status indication module in the corresponding hard disk slot unit through a time-multiplexing control output end of the controller, polling a condition of a status indication lamp in the hard disk status indication module in the corresponding hard disk slot unit, and determining a working condition of the hard disk in the corresponding hard disk slot unit.

9. The hard disk status testing method according to claim 8 , wherein the determining, according to the voltage output value and the duration cycle, the presence status, the activity status and the hard disk type of the hard disk in the hard disk slot comprises:

in response to the voltage output value being the power supply, indicating that the hard disk in the hard disk slot is absent.

10. The hard disk status testing method according to claim 8 , wherein the determining, according to the voltage output value and the duration cycle, the presence status, the activity status and the hard disk type of the hard disk in the hard disk slot comprises:

in response to the voltage output value being a first voltage value, and the duration cycle being greater than a first time cycle, indicating that the hard disk is present, the hard disk type is Serial Advanced Technology Attachment/Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SATA/SAS), and the hard disk is not powered up.

11. The hard disk status testing method according to claim 8 , wherein the determining, according to the voltage output value and the duration cycle, the presence status, the activity status and the hard disk type of the hard disk in the hard disk slot comprises:

in response to the voltage output value cyclically changing between a first voltage value and a second voltage value, and the duration cycle being a first time cycle, indicating that the hard disk is present, the hard disk type is Serial Advanced Technology Attachment/Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SATA/SAS), and the hard disk is normally read and written.

12. The hard disk status testing method according to claim 8 , wherein the determining, according to the voltage output value and the duration cycle, the presence status, the activity status and the hard disk type of the hard disk in the hard disk slot comprises:

in response to the voltage output value being a second voltage value, and the duration cycle being greater than a first time cycle, indicating that the hard disk is present, the hard disk type is Serial Advanced Technology Attachment/Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SATA/SAS), and the hard disk has been powered up, but has not been read and written.

13. The hard disk status testing method according to claim 8 , wherein the determining, according to the voltage output value and the duration cycle, the presence status, the activity status and the hard disk type of the hard disk in the hard disk slot comprises:

in response to the voltage output value being a third voltage value, and the duration cycle being greater than a first time cycle, indicating that the hard disk is present, the hard disk type is Nonvolatile Memory Express (NVMe), and the hard disk is not powered up.

14. The hard disk status testing method according to claim 8 , wherein the determining, according to the voltage output value and the duration cycle, the presence status, the activity status and the hard disk type of the hard disk in the hard disk slot comprises:

in response to the voltage output value cyclically changing between a third voltage value and a fourth voltage value, and the duration cycle being a first time cycle, indicating that the hard disk is present, the hard disk type is Nonvolatile Memory Express (NVMe), and the hard disk is normally read and written.

15. The hard disk status testing method according to claim 8 , wherein the determining, according to the voltage output value and the duration cycle, the presence status, the activity status and the hard disk type of the hard disk in the hard disk slot comprises:

in response to the voltage output value being a fourth voltage value, and the duration cycle being greater than a first time cycle, indicating that the hard disk is present, the hard disk type is Nonvolatile Memory Express (NVMe), and the hard disk has been powered up, but has not been read and written.

16. The hard disk status testing method according to claim 10 , wherein the first voltage value is

V1

=

R

2

//

R

3

R

1

+

R

2

//

R

3

V

CC

,

wherein R 2 //R 3 represents a resistance value after the first testing resistor having a resistance value R 2 is connected in parallel with the second testing resistor having a resistance value R 3 , R 1 is a resistance value of the pull-up resistor, and VCC is the power supply.

17. The hard disk status testing method according to claim 11 , wherein the second voltage value is

V2

=

R

2

//

R

3

//

R

4

R

1

+

R

2

//

R

3

//

R

4

V

CC

,

wherein R 1 is a resistance value of the pull-up resistor, R 2 is a resistance value of the first testing resistor, R 3 is a resistance value of the second testing resistor, R 4 is a resistance value of the third testing resistor, and VCC is the power supply.

18. The hard disk status testing method according to claim 13 , wherein the third voltage value is

V3

=

R

3

R

1

+

R

3

V

CC

,

wherein R 1 is a resistance value of the pull-up resistor, R 3 is a resistance value of the first testing resistor, and VCC is the power supply.

19. The hard disk status testing method according to claim 14 , wherein the fourth voltage value is

V4

=

R

3

//

R

4

R

1

+

R

3

//

R

4

V

CC

,

wherein R 1 is a resistance value of the pull-up resistor, R 3 is a resistance value of the first testing resistor, R 4 is a resistance value of the second testing resistor, and VCC is the power supply.

Assignments (2)
LICENSE Recorded Jun 30, 2026
From: IEIT SYSTEMS CO., LTD
To: AIVRES SYSTEMS INC.
Reel/Frame 075857/0939 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2022
From: CHI, JINBO
To: INSPUR SUZHOU INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 062052/0892 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 202010656621.0 · Jul 9, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230221387A1 · Jul 13, 2023