Seagate Technology Incorporated

Maxtor Corporation

Leroy L Leach

Erhard Theodor Schreck

Michael M Lee

Don Brunnett

Bernhard Hiller

Bruce C Schardt

Maurice L Schlumberger

Chandra Shaker Buddhavaram

David Chew

Kevin W McGinnis

Samuel Richard Duell

Todd David Baumann

Pantelis Alexopoulos

Eric Kvamme

Richard Sonnenfeld

Robert L Kimball

Thierry Chatard

Robert Milby

Bob Southerland

Jeff Griffiths

Johanna Hernandez

James McGrath

Kathleen Fitzgerald, Legal Representative

Method and apparatus for data security in a data storage device. In some embodiments, a first version of firmware is installed in a memory of the device. The firmware is used by a programmable processor to control accesses to a rotatable data recording medium on which is written pre-recorded servo positioning data used to position a data transducer. A newer, second version of the firmwave is subsequently installed in the memory to replace the first version of firmware. The second version of the firmware includes an instruction to corrupt a selected portion of the servo positioning data on the medium in order to authenticate the second version of the firmware. During a subsequent initialization of the device, host access is granted based on detection of the corruption of the selected portion of the servo positioning data.

Protecting against unauthorized firmware updates using induced servo errors

A RAID system is provided which can be implemented as a hardware RAID system while avoiding certain shortcomings of previous RAID systems. The RAID system makes it possible to avoid or reduce the number of buffers or processors and can take advantage of drive logic to achieve RAID functions or enhancements. RAID functionality can be provided in a manner to accommodate one or more ATA drive interfaces. To avoid drive replacement problems, host requests for drive serial numbers are responded to with a mirror serial number. In one embodiment, the read address is used to select which drive will perform a read operation.

RAID system and method compatible with improved drive select

The present invention allows more than two devices to be connected to a single ATA bus. The devices are each assigned a unique identifier, and a controller selects a device by sending a selection command that includes a selection identifier across data lines of the ATA bus to the devices. The devices each receive the selection command and compare the selection identifier to the assigned identifier. The device which matches the selection identifier to its assigned identifier is selected, and the other devices are not selected.

Method and apparatus for increasing the device count on a single ATA bus

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Boulder, CO, United States of America

Leroy L Leach