Modular high-capacity solid-state mass data storage device including controller/memory modules arranged in parallel channels

摘要

A modular solid-state mass data storage device providing high-density, high-capacity storage of data employs a modular pipeline architecture in which a distributed array of controller/memory modules is arranged in parallel controller/memory channels on one or more controller/memory cards, each controller/memory channel having first and last controller/memory modules. The modular storage device also includes a data format module, and first and second busses connecting outputs of the data format module to inputs of each of the first and last controller/memory modules. The first bus also connects outputs of the last controller/memory module in each channel back to an input of the data format modules. The modular pipeline architecture allows the number of controller/memory modules in each channel to be easily configured to accommodate any required storage size, while the number of controller/memory channels can be configured to accommodate any required storage size and transfer rate, without increasing latency time. The modular pipeline architecture also greatly simplifies the complexity of the memory controllers, and high-density packaging of the controller/memory modules provides compact storage for large amounts of data. The mass data storage device may be used as a random access memory (RAM) disk or for any other application requiring high-density, high-capacity mass data storage devices.