Monitoring voltage levels for data storage devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9778293-B1
Application number	US-201414497275-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 25, 2014
Priority date	Sep 25, 2014
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for monitoring a voltage received by a data storage device. A connection cable or data storage device may include a power monitoring module monitor the voltage received by the data storage device. The power monitoring module may provide an indication of whether voltage received by the data storage device is within a range of voltages.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A storage device connection cable, the storage device connection cable comprising:
a first cable connector configured to couple the storage device connection cable to a data storage device;
one or more voltage lines configured to receive an input voltage from a voltage source, wherein the input voltage is used to power the data storage device;
one or more data lines configured to communicate data with a computing device;
a voltage comparison component configured to determine whether the input voltage is within a range of voltages suitable to power the data storage device; and
an indicator component configured to provide an indication of whether the input voltage is within the range of voltages, wherein the indicator component is located in the first cable connector.

2. The storage device connection cable of claim 1 , wherein the voltage comparison component comprises:
a first comparator configured to determine whether a reference voltage is greater than a first voltage; and
a second comparator configured to determine whether the reference voltage is less than a second voltage.

3. The storage device connection cable of claim 2 , further comprising:
a resistive divider configured to generate the first voltage and the second voltage based on the input voltage.

4. The storage device connection cable of claim 1 , wherein the storage device connection cable comprises a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) cable.

5. The storage device connection cable of claim 1 , wherein the indicator component comprises a light-emitting diode (LED).

6. The storage device connection cable of claim 2 , further comprising:
a reference voltage source configured to generate the reference voltage.

7. The storage device connection cable of claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises the voltage source.

8. The storage device connection cable of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second cable connector configured to couple the storage device connection cable to the computing device.

9. The storage device connection cable of claim 1 , wherein the indicator component is configured to provide the indication responsive to the input voltage being within the range of voltages.

10. The storage device connection cable of claim 1 , wherein the indicator component is configured to provide the indication responsive to the input voltage being not within the range of voltages.

11. A data storage device capable of receiving an input voltage via a connection cable, the data storage device comprising:
a voltage comparison component configured to determine whether the input voltage received by the data storage device is within a range of voltages suitable to power the data storage device, wherein the input voltage is used to power the data storage device; and
an indicator component configured to provide an indication of whether the input voltage is within the range of voltages.

12. The data storage device of claim 11 , wherein the voltage comparison component comprises:
a first comparator configured to determine whether a reference voltage is greater than a first voltage; and
a second comparator configured to determine whether the reference voltage is less than a second voltage.

13. The data storage device of claim 12 , further comprising:
a resistive divider configured to generate the first voltage and the second voltage based on the input voltage.

14. The data storage device of claim 11 , wherein the indicator component comprises a light-emitting diode (LED).

15. The data storage device of claim 12 , further comprising:
a reference voltage source configured to generate the reference voltage.

16. The data storage device of claim 11 , further comprising:
one or more voltage lines configured to receive the input voltage from a voltage source; and
one or more data lines configured to communicate data with a computing device.

17. The data storage device of claim 11 , wherein the indicator component is configured to provide the indication responsive to the input voltage being within the range of voltages.

18. The data storage device of claim 11 , wherein the indicator component is configured to provide the indication responsive to the input voltage being not within the range of voltages.

19. A method of monitoring an input voltage received via a connection cable, comprising:
receiving a reference voltage and an input voltage, wherein the input voltage powers a data storage device;
generating a first voltage and a second voltage based on the input voltage;
determining whether the input voltage is within a range of voltages suitable to power the data storage device, based on the first voltage, the second voltage, and the reference voltage; and
providing, on a first cable connector of the connection cable, an indication of whether the input voltage is within the range of voltages.

Assignees

• Western Digital Tech Inc

Inventors

• Klein Barry L
• Zueck Joseph M

Classifications

• G01R19/1659 Primary

  to indicate that the value is within or outside a predetermined range of values (window) (G01R19/16514, G01R19/16519, G01R19/16528 and G01R19/16533 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01R17/02

  Arrangements in which the value to be measured is automatically compared with a reference value · CPC title

• G11C5/147

  Voltage reference generators, voltage or current regulators; Internally lowered supply levels; Compensation for voltage drops (G11C5/141 takes precedence) · CPC title