Serial interface amplitude selection for a disk drive in an unknown interconnect environment

1. A disk drive connectable to a host through an interconnect, the disk drive comprising:

a disk, an interconnect connectable to a host;

a signal measurement circuit to measure voltage amplitudes of signals from the host; and

a processor for controlling operations in the disk drive including writing and reading data to and from the disk, the processor being coupled to the signal measurement circuit, the processor under the control of a program in conjunction with the signal measurement circuit to:

measure an amplitude of the voltage of a signal from the host during a first speed negotiation process; and

determine if the amplitude of the signal from the host is above a pre-determined amplitude for the disk drive and, if so, command the disk drive to transmit signals to the host at the measured amplitude of the first speed negotiation process;

wherein, if the amplitude is below the pre-determined amplitude for the disk drive, a second speed negotiation process is forced using a lower frequency signal from the host.

2. The disk drive of claim 1 , wherein, when the second speed negotiation process is forced using a lower frequency signal from the host, the processor under the control of the program further:

measures the amplitude of the lower frequency signal from the second speed negotiation process; and

compares the amplitude of the lower frequency signal from the second speed negotiation process to the amplitude of the higher frequency signal from the first speed negotiation process, and if the compared amplitudes are not significantly different, the interconnect between the host and disk drive is determined to be low-loss, and the disk drive is commanded to transmit signals to the host at approximately the measured amplitude of the higher and lower frequency signals.

3. The disk drive of claim 1 , wherein the processor under the control of the program determines if the amplitude of the signal from the host in the first speed negotiation process is above a pre-determined amplitude for the disk drive, and, if so, further determines whether to set a power saving mode.

4. The disk drive of claim 1 , wherein the signal measurement circuit includes a timing circuit to sample the signal during the first speed negotiation process coupled to a signal detector to detect and measure the amplitude.

5. The disk drive of claim 1 , wherein the disk drive is connected to the host by a relatively long interconnect.

6. The disk drive of claim 1 , wherein the disk drive is connected to the host by a relatively short interconnect.

7. The disk drive of claim 1 , wherein the disk drive and the host are each compatible with a serial interface standard.

8. The disk drive of claim 2 , wherein, if the compared amplitudes are significantly different, the interconnect between the host and disk drive is deemed to be high-loss, and the processor under the control of the program further:

computes a voltage loss associated with the high-loss interconnect;

based on the computed voltage loss, determines an estimated actual amplitude of the higher and lower frequency signals from the host; and

commands the disk drive to transmit signals to the host at the estimated actual amplitude.

9. The disk drive of claim 3 , wherein the processor under the control of the program determines if the interconnect between the disk drive and the host is low-loss, and, if so, the disk drive is set to a power saving mode by the amplitude of signals from the disk drive being reduced down to a minimum amplitude that is compatible with the disk drive and the host.

10. A method for determining an amplitude for signals to be sent from a device to a host over an interconnect comprising:

measuring an amplitude of the voltage of a signal from the host during a first speed negotiation process, wherein the device comprises an interconnect connectable to a host; and

determining if the amplitude of the signal from the host is above a pre-determined amplitude for the device and, if so, commanding the device to transmit signals to the host at the measured amplitude of the first speed negotiation process;

wherein, if the amplitude is below the pre-determined amplitude for the device, a second speed negotiation process is forced using a lower frequency signal from the host.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein, when the second speed negotiation process is forced using a lower frequency signal from the host, the method further comprises:

measuring the amplitude of the lower frequency signal from the second speed negotiation process;

comparing the amplitude of the lower frequency signal from the second speed negotiation process to the amplitude of the higher frequency signal from the first speed negotiation process, and if the compared amplitudes are not significantly different, the interconnect between the host and device is determined to be low-loss; and

commanding the device to transmit signals to the host at approximately the measured amplitude of the higher and lower frequency signals.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining if the amplitude of the signal from the host in the first speed negotiation process is above a pre-determined amplitude for the device, and, if so, determining whether to set a power saving mode.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the device is connected to the host by a relatively long interconnect.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the device is connected to the host by a relatively short interconnect.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the device and the host are each compatible with a serial interface standard.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein, if the compared amplitudes are substantially different, the interconnect between the host and device is deemed to be high-loss, and the method further comprises:

computing a voltage loss associated with the high-loss interconnect;

based on the computed voltage loss, determining an estimated actual amplitude of the higher and lower frequency signals from the host; and

commanding the device to transmit signals to the host at the estimated actual amplitude.

17. The disk drive of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining if the interconnect between the device and the host is low-loss; and

if the interconnect between the device and the host is determined to be low-loss, setting the device to a power saving mode by reducing the amplitude of signals transmitted from the device down to a minimum amplitude that is compatible with the device and the host.