Importance

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Abstract

A single integrated circuit includes an on-board processor, a peripheral port, and a general purpose input/output (I/O) circuit that support both master mode and slave mode operations. In a master mode of operation, the integrated circuit functions as a disk drive microcontroller and seamlessly interfaces with a hard disk controller. The integrated circuit includes programmable circuitry for generating individual chip select signals for external random access memory (RAM) and external read-only memory (ROM); a fully programmable general purpose input/output interface; and a programmable bi-directional peripheral port. Each of these features are utilized in the master mode to control operation of the disk drive. In a slave mode of operation, the integrated circuit provides full motion control of the spin and tracking systems of a disk drive. In slave mode, the peripheral port is an interface to a host microcontroller or a host RISC processor, that is typically contained within the disk drive. The host microcontroller communicates with the integrated circuit through a set of mailbox registers within the peripheral port to configure the integrated circuit for full motion control and to receive information from the integrated circuit.

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First Claim