Disk drive and method for implementing nonstandard disk-drive commands on a serial ATA interface that only supports standard ATA disk-drive commands

In a disk drive connected to a host computer, and responsive to standard disk-drive commands associated with disk-drive operations and to nonstandard disk-drive commands required for disk-drive manufacture and quality testing, the disk drive including a disk, a head actuated radially over the disk, a disk control system for responding to disk-drive commands and for accessing data storage locations on the disk through the head, and a serial ATA interface for coupling the disk control system to the host computer when the disk drive is connected to the host computer, wherein the serial ATA interface is configured to transfer standard disk-drive commands from the host computer to the disk control system and is configured to not transfer nonstandard disk-drive commands form the host computer to the disk control system, and the standard disk drive commands include a Self Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART) write-log command, a method for transmitting a nonstandard disk-drive command to the disk drive, comprising:

• embedding a nonstandard disk-drive command within a data block accessible using a SMART write-log command;
• transmitting the SMART write-log command from the host computer through the serial ATA interface to the disk control system, wherein the SMART write-log command causes the data block to be transformed from the host computer to the disk control system;
• extracting the nonstandard disk-drive command that is embedded within the data block;
• and
• providing the extracted nonstandard disk-drive command to the disk control system.

A disk drive, connectable to a host computer, having a host interface for receiving data blocks and commands from the host, the disk drive comprising:

• a control system for processing the received host commands and data blocks;
• the control system comprising;
• first means for processing a first subset of the received host commands, wherein the first subset of host commands is defined in an industry standard and includes a Self Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART) write-log command;
• second means for processing a second subset of the received host commands, wherein the second subset of host commands is not defined in the industry standard;
• and
• third means for processing a received SMART write-log command to enable the second means to process the second subset of received host commands.

A disk drive connectable to a host computer, having a host interface for receiving data blocks and commands from the host, the disk drive comprising:

• a control system for processing the received host commands and data blocks;
• the control system comprising:
• first means for processing a first subset of the received host commands, wherein the first subset of host commands is defined in an industry standard;
• second means for processing a second subset of the received host commands, wherein the second subset of host commands is not defined in the industry standard;
• and
• third means for processing one of the first subset of received host commands to enable the second means to process the second subset of received host commands, wherein the third means, in response to a first enabling command, generates a security challenge code for transmission in a data block to host computer.