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Abstract

A modular solid-state mass data storage device providing high-density, high capacity storage of numerous full-length movies for video server applications. The mass data storage device 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. The modular pipeline architecture, in which each controller/memory channel has multiple controller/memory modules connected in a serial chain by address, data and control buses, allows the number of controller/memory modules in each channel and the number of controller/memory channels to be selected to accommodate a desired storage size and transfer rate, without an undesirably high latency time. An asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switch allows multiple viewers to access the movies stored in the mass data storage device with independent video cassette recorder (VCR)-like control of the movie being watched. In a disclosed embodiment, the controller/memory modules in each channel are connected to first and second buses which extend from a data format module, the first bus also extending from the last controller/memory modules in each channel back to the data format module. The data format module provides data formatting, synchronization and error correction for the stored movies. In the disclosed embodiment, each controller/memory module includes an array of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips, and multiple controller/memory modules are packaged in standard memory module packages, such as single in-line memory module (SIMM) packages.

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First Claim