JPS6353763A - Disk controller evaluation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily and sufficiently evaluate an error detecting function, by forming a test pattern corresponding to the object cylinder of a disk driver, and the selection which becomes the cause of a seek error, or a data error. CONSTITUTION:In a test pattern generator TPG, the test pattern corresponding to the object cylinder of a hard disk driver, and the selection data of the track supplied from a disk controller, is formed corresponding to a disk format, and it is stored in a data memory DM capable of rewriting in bit serial. Next, a various kinds of defective states which become the cause of the seek error, or the data error, are generated artificially on the DM through the test pattern. And influence affected by a defective mode on a seek operation function, or a format control function, is checked through the error detecting function of the disk controller. In this way, it is possible to evaluate the error detecting function of the controller.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an evaluation device for a disk controller, and relates to a technique that is effective when applied to, for example, evaluation of the error detection function of a floppy disk controller or a hard disk controller. .

[Prior art]

A disk controller such as a floppy disk controller or a hard disk controller is a device placed between a magnetic disk device and a host system to support data exchange with the disk device. Magnetic disk devices include a floppy disk device, a replaceable disk back type or cartridge type disk device, and a Winchester type hard disk device. For example, a hard disk drive includes a disk as a storage medium, a head positioning device to which a magnetic head assembly is attached, a drive device thereof, a write/read circuit, a control circuit, an interface circuit, and the like.

In addition to the host interface function, which exchanges commands and status with the host system, the disk controller functions include, for example,
rLSI Handbook J P2 published by Ohmsha on the 25th of May
As described in S5 and P2S5, the serial/parallel conversion function converts the data received from the host system into serial data and the data received from the disk device into parallel data, and the data exchange with the disk device. The seek operation function moves the magnetic head to the target cylinder or track on the disk when carrying out a process, and the FCC (Error Checking and Correcting) function is used to prevent data read errors caused by physical defects or electrical noise on the disk. It is equipped with error detection and correction functions.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

The inventor studied the error detection function of disk controllers and found that disk controllers detect errors caused by head positioning errors such as seek errors caused by mistakes, scratches on the disk, and fine dust adhering to its surface. It detects data errors, etc., but it is virtually impossible to reproduce the defective state that causes such errors on an actual disk, so it is important to give a thorough evaluation to the error detection function of the disk controller. It has been found that this prevents improvements in the reliability of systems in which disk devices are used.

An object of the present invention is to provide a disk controller evaluation device that can easily obtain a sufficient evaluation of the error detection function of a disk controller.

The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[Means for solving problems]

A brief overview of typical inventions disclosed in this application is as follows.

That is, a rewritable first data storage means stores a test pattern corresponding to selection data for selecting a target cylinder and track of a disk driver supplied from a disk controller or the like in bit serial format in correspondence with the disk format. A test pattern is provided on the first data storage means to simulate various failure modes of the disk, and the effects of the failure modes on the seek operation function, format control function, etc. of the disk controller are evaluated. By checking the error detection function of the disk controller, the error detection function of the disk controller is evaluated.

[For production]

According to the above-mentioned means, head positioning is performed by first data identifying defective conditions that may cause seek errors caused by errors, data errors caused by scratches on the disk or fine dust adhering to its surface, etc. By generating various pseudo-images on the storage means, it is possible to easily and sufficiently evaluate the error detection function of the disk controller.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows one of the disk controller evaluation devices of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example. The disk controller evaluation device (hereinafter also simply referred to as a hard disk emulator) HDE shown in the same figure is a hard disk controller HDC that supports data transmission and reception between a hard disk driver (hard disk device) and a host system, although it is not particularly limited. It is a device that gives an evaluation.

The hard disk controller (DC) is connected to the host system via a system bus SB, etc., and is connectable to a hard disk driver (not shown) or the emulator EML of this embodiment via an interface cable IFC.

The configuration of the hard disk controller HDC is not directly related to the present invention, so its details are not shown, but the main components are a disk interface signal processing section that processes seek-related commands, and a disk format processing section that processes read-write-related commands. It is provided as a data processing section and is coupled to the system bus SB via a data input/output buffer circuit and a command/status register. The disk interface signal processing section described above has a seek operation function that moves the magnetic head to the target cylinder or track of the disk when exchanging data with the hard disk driver, and also has a seek operation function that moves the magnetic head to the target cylinder or track of the disk when exchanging data with the hard disk driver. Disk interface signals for recalibration plate operation to set the reference position, etc. are input/output via the interface cable IFC. That is, it is primarily used to control a spindle that rotatably directs a disk, which is a storage medium, and a drive device for a head positioning device equipped with a magnetic head assembly. The disk format processing unit has a serial/parallel conversion function that converts data received from the host system into serial data and converts data received from the hard disk driver into parallel data.
Writes information for bit synchronization and byte synchronization required when exchanging data with the hard disk driver, and ID (identification) information for the sectors that make up a track to the disk according to a specified format. A device that achieves format control functions such as reading and writing, and error detection and correction functions such as using ECC (Error Checking and Correcting) for data read errors caused by physical defects in the disk or electrical noise. Index signals, read/write clock signals, read/write data, etc. are input/output via the interface cable IFC.

The hard disk emulator HDE is connected to the hard disk controller HDC in place of the hard disk driver to which the hard disk controller HDC is connected via the interface cable IFC, and basically simulates various failure modes of the disk. Create a hard disk controller HD
Based on how such a pseudo failure mode is handled by the hard disk controller HDC when exchanging data between the hard disk controller H and the hard disk emulator HDE,
This paper attempts to evaluate the error detection function of DC.

The interface controller I FCONT connected to the above interface cable IFC connects the hard disk driver (not shown) to the interface cable IFC.
The configuration is generally similar to that of the interface circuit for connecting to. The difference is that a function is added to suppress input/output of predetermined data and control signals based on mask data supplied from mask register MRG.

The above interface controller I FCONT includes:
a data memory DM consisting of a memory such as a rewritable RAM (random access memory) that stores data in bit serial format according to the disk format;
a seek register SRG in which data for cylinder selection of a hard disk driver (not shown) is stored; a track register TRG in which data for track selection of a hard disk driver (not shown) is stored;

The mask registers MRG are respectively coupled.

Here, the data memory DM is a substitute for a disk in a hard disk driver, but its storage capacity does not have to be equivalent to one spindle in a hard disk driver, and it is capable of multiple track processing and alternate processing. A certain amount is sufficient.

Further, the data memory DM has a data bit serial input/output function.

The TPO is a test pattern generator that generates test patterns conforming to the disc format in correspondence with cylinder and track selection data. Although not particularly limited, such a test pattern generator TPO forms test patterns based on various control signals supplied from a console (not shown) via an operation interface circuit 0PITF, and the formed test patterns are stored therein. ing.

Here, the test pattern is a data pattern in which various failure modes of the disk are generated in a pseudo manner, and corresponds to cylinder and track selection data and conforms to the disk format. That is, if the data format of the disk is such that a track is formed by a set of multiple sectors, similarly,
An ID field and a data field are formed with a predetermined gap, a sync byte is formed at the beginning of each field to indicate this, and an index is formed to indicate the start position of the track. A data pattern corresponding to such a track is formed in a plurality of cylinders corresponding to the hard disk driver, and each cylinder and track corresponds to selection data for selecting a target cylinder and track, and is used for a predetermined test. A pattern is formed. The test pattern has a simulated disk failure mode, but
For example, the abnormal bits corresponding to dust or scratches on the disc are stored in the above ID field.

This is done by forming the data field, sync byte, and index at appropriate positions, or by intentionally changing the selection data for selecting the target cylinder and track assuming tracking errors.

The test patterns generated and stored in the test pattern generator TPO include predetermined ones included in the data memory DM and the seek register SR, respectively.
G, track register TRG.

The signal is supplied to the mask register MRG.

The controller C0NT performs control over each of the above sections, such as test pattern input/output control to the test pattern generator TPO, access control to the data memory DM, and data output control to the mask register MRG. The controller C0NT initially loads predetermined data of the test pattern into the data memory DM and mask register MRG based on instructions from an external console (not shown). For example, in the data memory DM,
Predetermined data according to the data format of the disk is transferred to an appropriate number of cylinders. In this state, the selection data for selecting the target cylinder and track and the address signal for selecting the sector are transferred from the hard disk controller HDC to the interface controller IFC.
When the predetermined data is supplied to the ONT and is supplied to the seek register SRG and track register TRG,
The controller C0NT controls access to the data memory in response to read/write instructions from the hard disk controller HDC, and performs data read/write operations on sectors of the test pattern on the data memory DM according to the selected data. .

At this time, if an abnormal bit is formed in the sync byte, index, or ID field of the target track, the error detection function is evaluated based on whether the hard disk controller HDC can detect errors accordingly. In the above test pattern generator TPO, the position where the abnormal bit is formed is immediately before or after the sync byte, or
By setting the discontinuity of abnormal bits as appropriate, various possible failure modes in the track due to dust or scratches on the disk are reflected in a pseudo manner in the test pattern. Disk failure modes are created, and the error detection function of the hard disk controller HDC for these failure modes can be evaluated from various viewpoints.

The controller C0NT also controls the rewriting of selection data supplied from the hard disk controller HDC to the seek register SRG and track register TRG via the test pattern generator TPO based on instructions from an external console (not shown). An operation is performed to control access to the data memory DM based on the selected data. By executing such a control operation, the seek error detection function of the hard disk controller can be evaluated.

Furthermore, the controller C0NT controls the mask register MRG.
By loading predetermined mask data into the interface controller IFCONT, supply of predetermined bits of data to be internally supplied from the interface controller IFCONT is suppressed. therefore,
When the hard disk controller HDC performs a retry operation in a state where the supply of predetermined data is suppressed, the number of retries can be evaluated according to the mask data supply operation.

According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) In the test pattern generator TPO, the position where the abnormal bit is formed is immediately before or after the sync byte, and the continuity and discontinuity of the abnormal bit is set appropriately to prevent dust and scratches on the disk. By pseudo-reflecting various possible failure modes on the track in the test pattern, various possible failure modes of the disk are created, and the error detection function of the hard disk controller HDC is evaluated from various viewpoints. can be evaluated.

(2) Since the selection data for selecting the target cylinder and track corresponding to the data according to the disk format is also reflected in the test pattern as a possible seek error pattern, seek errors can also be evaluated.

(3) If input of a predetermined bit of the data signal supplied from the hard disk controller HDC can be suppressed, retries by the hard disk controller HDC can be easily evaluated.

(4) From the above effects, it is possible to improve the reliability of a system that uses a hard disk device, and further,
This can contribute to reducing the number of steps needed to develop a hard disk controller.

Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described above based on examples, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned examples and can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof.

For example, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which a test pattern generator for forming test patterns is provided inside the hard disk emulator, and test patterns are formed based on operations from the outside, but the invention is not limited to this. configured to store test patterns directly into data memory,
Alternatively, a test pattern may be formed on the host system side and supplied to the hard disk emulator via the hard disk controller. In this case, a signal instructing the emulation mode must be supplied from the hard disk controller to the hard disk emulator, but since the test pattern can be formed using part of the host system, the circuit size of the hard disk emulator is can be downsized.

In the above explanation, the invention made by the present inventor was mainly applied to the evaluation device for a hard disk controller, which is the background field of application, but the invention is not limited thereto. It can be applied to the evaluation of various disk controllers such as The present invention can be applied to conditions that use various test patterns that are generated in a pseudo manner assuming at least a defective state of a disk or the like.

〔Effect of the invention〕

A brief explanation of the effects obtained by typical inventions disclosed in this application is as follows.

That is, a test pattern is created according to selection data for selecting the target cylinder and track of the hard disk driver supplied from a disk controller or the like.
A rewritable first data storage means for bit-serial storage corresponding to the disk format is provided, various failure modes of the disk are generated in a pseudo manner through a test pattern on the first data storage means, and the disk controller By checking the influence of the above failure mode on the seek operation function, format control function, etc. of the disk controller through the error detection function of the disk controller, the error detection function of the disk controller is evaluated. By generating various pseudo-failure conditions on the first data storage means, such as those that cause data errors and scratches on the disk or due to fine dust adhering to its surface, It is possible to easily and sufficiently evaluate the error detection function of the controller.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows one of the disk controller evaluation devices of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example. HDC...hard disk controller, HDE...
・Hard disk emulator, IFCONT...interface controller, TPO...test pattern generator, DM...data memory, SRG...
・Seek register, TRG...Track register, M
RG...Mask register, C0NT...Control agent Patent attorney Katsuo Ogawa Otsuji\(,'

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. rewritable first data storage means for storing data in bit serial format according to the disc format;
test pattern setting means for setting a test pattern according to the disk format in correspondence with selection data for selecting a target cylinder and track of the disk driver; and data for the first data storage means based on the selection data. 1. A disk controller evaluation device comprising: control means for controlling read and write operations; and an interface controller for interfacing with a disk controller. 2. The selection data is supplied from the disk controller via the interface controller, and
2. The disk controller evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the disk controller evaluation device is capable of being rewritten with the contents supplied from the test pattern setting device under the control of the control device. 3. The control means is capable of inhibiting and controlling input/output of predetermined data to the interface controller, which has a function substantially equivalent to that of an interface circuit of a disk driver. 1
Disk controller evaluation device described in Section 1.