Data storage device including self-test features

Abstract

In a particular embodiment, a data storage device includes a non-volatile storage media adapted to store data and a measurement circuit adapted to measure at least one performance parameter related to the storage device during operation. The data storage device further includes logic coupled to the measurement circuit and adapted to predict a failure associated with at least a portion of the non-volatile storage media when the measured performance parameter exceeds a threshold value and to optionally perform corrective action.

1 . A data storage device comprising:
 a non-volatile storage media adapted to store data;   a measurement circuit adapted to measure at least one performance parameter related to the storage device during operation; and   logic coupled to the measurement circuit and adapted to predict a failure associated with at least a portion of the non-volatile storage media when the measured performance parameter exceeds a threshold value.   
     
     
         2 . The storage device of  claim 1 , further comprising a control circuit coupled to the non-volatile storage media and adapted to control read/write/erase access to the non-volatile storage media. 
     
     
         3 . The storage device of  claim 2 , wherein the control circuit is adapted to reallocate data from the at least a portion of the non-volatile storage media to a second portion of the non-volatile storage media in response to the predicted failure. 
     
     
         4 . The storage device of  claim 2 , wherein the control circuit is adapted to prohibit access to the at least a portion of the non-volatile storage media in response to the predicted failure. 
     
     
         5 . The storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the non-volatile storage media comprises a solid-state memory, and wherein the measured performance parameter comprises an access time parameter. 
     
     
         6 . The storage device of  claim 5 , wherein the access time parameter comprises one of an erase time representing a first time parameter to erase a block of data from the solid-state memory, a write time including a second time parameter to write a block of data to the solid-state memory, a read time include a third time parameter to read a block of data from the solid-state memory, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The storage device of  claim 1 , further comprising an auxiliary power supply component, wherein the measured performance parameter comprises a power level associated with the auxiliary power supply component when the auxiliary power supply component is operating as an energy source. 
     
     
         8 . The storage device of  claim 1 , further comprising a volatile write cache to temporarily store data to be written to the storage media, wherein the logic is adapted to disable writing of data to the volatile write cache in response to the predicted failure. 
     
     
         9 . The storage device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a disc assembly including storage media to store data;   a spindle motor coupled to the disc assembly to rotate the storage media; and   a spindle motor control circuit to control operation of the spindle motor;   wherein the measured performance parameter comprises a back electromotive force associated with the spindle motor acting as a generator by utilizing a kinetic inertia of the disc assembly when the disc assembly is rotating.   
     
     
         10 . The storage device of  claim 1 , wherein the non-volatile storage media comprises a rotatable storage media, the storage device further comprising:
 a solid-state memory to store data;   a spindle motor adapted to rotate the non-volatile storage media; and   an auxiliary battery to act as a power source when power is lost;   wherein the measurement circuit is adapted to measure an erase/write time associated with the solid-state memory, to measure a back electromotive force (EMF) associated with the spindle motor, and to measure a power supply from the auxiliary battery; and   wherein the logic is adapted to predict the failure based on at least one of the measured erase/write/read time, the measured back EMF, and the measured power supply.   
     
     
         11 . A storage device comprising:
 one or more storage media to store data;   a measurement circuit adapted to measure at least one performance parameter associated with at least one of the one or more storage media; and   a control circuit coupled to the measurement circuit and to the one or more storage media, the control circuit adapted to control read, write, and erase access to the one or more storage media, the control circuit to detect a failure associated with at least one of the one or more storage media when the at least one performance parameter exceeds a threshold, the control circuit to initiate a corrective action in response to the detected failure.   
     
     
         12 . The storage device of  claim 11 , wherein the corrective action comprises at least one of reallocating data from a first location at the one or more storage media to a second location at the one or more storage media based on the detected failure. 
     
     
         13 . The storage device of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one performance parameter comprises a write time to complete a write operation to at least one of the one or more storage media. 
     
     
         14 . The storage device of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one performance parameter comprises an erase time to complete an erase operation to at least one of the one or more storage media. 
     
     
         15 . The storage device of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one performance parameter comprises a read time to complete a read operation to at least one of the one or more storage media. 
     
     
         16 . The storage device of  claim 11 , further comprising a spindle motor coupled to at least one storage media of the one or more storage media to rotate the at least one storage media, wherein the at least one performance parameter comprises a back electromotive force associated with the spindle motor acting as a generator by utilizing a kinetic inertia of the at least one storage media when the at least one storage media is rotating. 
     
     
         17 . The storage device of  claim 11 , further comprising an auxiliary power storage device coupled to the control circuit, wherein the at least one performance parameter comprises a power level associated with the auxiliary power storage device when the auxiliary power storage device is supplying power to the control circuit. 
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 measuring a performance parameter associated with at least one storage media of a storage device via a measurement circuit within the storage device when the at least one storage media is accessed;   predicting a failure when the performance parameter exceeds a threshold; and   preventing data loss by taking a corrective action in response to the predicted failure.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein circuitry of the storage device predicts the failure and prevents data loss by taking the corrective action. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the performance parameter comprises a read time, a write time, an erase time, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein measuring the performance parameter comprises measuring a back electromotive force (EMF) associated with a spindle motor of the storage device when the at least one storage media is rotating, the back EMF representing a kinetic inertia of the rotation associated with the at least one storage media. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein measuring the performance parameter comprises measuring a power supply level associated with an auxiliary power supply when the auxiliary power supply is providing operating power to circuitry of the storage device. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising generating an alert to a host system, the alert indicting an error message associated with the at least one storage media in response to the predicted failure. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein preventing data loss comprises reallocating data from a memory location associated with the at least one storage media to another storage location in response to the predicted failure. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein preventing data loss comprises prohibiting future write access to the at least one storage media in response to the predicted failure.