BRIDGING DEVICE HAVING A FREQUENCY CONFIGURABLE CLOCK DOMAIN

• US 20100327923A1
• Filed: 06/25/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management)
• Original Assignee: Mosaid Technologies Incorporated (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Inventors: GILLINGHAM, Peter B., JUNG, Hunsam, PYEON, Hong Beom
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 327/145
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/08 Clock generators with changeable or programmable clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1689 Synchronisation and timing concerns synchronisation on a memory bus G06F13/4234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0676 Magnetic disk device
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/04 with means for avoiding disturbances due to temperature effects

Abstract

A composite memory device including discrete memory devices and a bridge device for controlling the discrete memory devices. A configurable clock controller receives a system clock and generates a memory clock having a frequency that is a predetermined ratio of the system clock. The system clock frequency is dynamically variable between a maximum and a minimum value, and the ratio of the memory clock frequency relative to the system clock frequency is set by loading a frequency register with a Frequency Divide Ratio (FDR) code any time during operation of the composite memory device. In response to the FDR code, the configurable clock controller changes the memory clock frequency.

Claims

1. A bridge device for controlling discrete memory devices in response to global command, comprising:

a first clock domain having first logic circuits and first control circuits operating in synchronization with a memory clock for issuing local commands to the discrete memory devices;

a frequency controller for generating the memory clock as one of at least two dynamically selectable clock divide ratios of a system clock provided to the bridge device; and

a second clock domain having second logic circuit and second control circuits operating in synchronization with the system clock for converting the global command received synchronously with the system clock into the local command synchronized with the memory clock.

2. The bridge device of claim 1, wherein the bridge device further includes a memory for storing write data received by at least one system data input port to be provided to the discrete memory devices, and for storing read data received from the discrete memory devices to be provided to at least one system data output port.

3. The bridge device of claim 2, wherein the memory includes a first memory input/output path controlled by the first control circuits of the first clock domain for providing the write data stored in a memory array of the memory to the discrete memory devices at a first data rate corresponding to a frequency of the memory clock, and for receiving the read data at the first data rate for writing to the memory array.

4. The bridge device of claim 3, wherein the memory includes a second memory input/output path controlled by the second control circuits of the second clock domain for providing the write data to the memory array at a second data rate corresponding to a frequency of the system clock, and for providing the read data from the memory array at the second data rate.

5. The bridge device of claim 4, wherein the second clock domain further includes data input path circuits for providing the write data received at the at least one system data input port to the second memory input/output path, and data output path circuits for providing the read data received from the second memory input/output path to the at least one system data output port, the data input path circuits and the data output path circuits operating in synchronization with the system clock.

6. The bridge device of claim 2, wherein the second logic circuits and the second control circuits include conversion circuits for converting commands of the global command into the local command compatible with the discrete memory devices synchronously with the system clock.

7. The bridge device of claim 6, wherein the first logic circuits and the first control circuits are configured for providing the local command to the discrete memory devices synchronously with the memory clock.

8. The bridge device of claim 7, wherein the first logic circuits and the first control circuits receive write data from the memory for output to the discrete memory devices synchronously with the memory clock when the local command corresponds to a write operation for a selected discrete memory device.

9. The bridge device of claim 1, wherein the second clock domain further includes

an operational code register receiving and storing a frequency divide op-code for controlling the frequency controller to change a divide ratio of the system clock to a ratio corresponding to a received frequency divide ratio code, and

a register for receiving and storing the frequency divide ratio code.

10. The bridge device of claim 9, wherein the frequency divide ratio code includes multiple bits corresponding to integer and non-integer divide ratios.

11. The bridge device of claim 1, wherein the frequency controller includes

clock dividers each configured to divide the system clock by different integer and non-integer divide ratios to provide intermediate clock signals, and

a selector for passing one of the intermediate clock signals as the memory clock in response to a frequency divide ratio code corresponding to any one of the different integer and non-integer divide ratios.

12. The bridge device of claim 11, the frequency controller includes a path control circuit for selectively passing the system clock to one of the clock dividers in response to the frequency divide ratio code.

13. The bridge device of claim 1, wherein the frequency controller includes

a clock divider for providing first intermediate clock signals on first edges of the system clock and second intermediate clock signals on second edges of the system clock, each of the first intermediate clock signals and the second intermediate clock signals having a period set by a ratio selector signal corresponding to the one of at least two dynamically selectable clock divide ratios, and

clock combining logic for logically combining selected first intermediate clock signals and selected second intermediate clock signals to provide the memory clock having a frequency corresponding to the system clock divided by the one of at least two dynamically selectable clock divide ratios.

14. The bridge device of claim 13, wherein each of the first intermediate clock signals is generated one cycle of the system clock after a previous first intermediate clock signal is generated, and each of the second intermediate clock signals is generated one cycle of the system clock after a previous first intermediate clock signal is generated.

15. The bridge device of claim 13, wherein the clock divider is configured to generate each of the first intermediate clock signals in response to an initial first intermediate clock signal, and to generate each of the second intermediate clock signals in response to an initial second intermediate clock signal.

16. The bridge device of claim 15, wherein the initial second intermediate clock signal is generated a predetermined number of cycles of the system clock corresponding to the one of at least two dynamically selectable clock divide ratios after the initial first intermediate clock signal is generated.

17. The bridge device of claim 13, wherein the frequency controller includes a frequency divide ratio decoder for generating ratio selector signals in response to a frequency divide ratio code representing the one of at least two dynamically selectable clock divide ratios.

18. The bridge device of claim 13, wherein the clock divider includes

a first configurable logic loop circuit for generating the first intermediate clock signals at the first edges of the system clock, the first configurable logic loop circuit being initiated in response to a first set signal, and

a second configurable logic loop circuit for generating the second intermediate clock signals at the second edges of the system clock, the second configurable logic loop circuit being initiated in response to a second set signal received after a number of cycles of the system clock predetermined by the one of at least two dynamically selectable clock divide ratios.

19. The bridge device of claim 18, wherein the first configurable logic loop circuit includes

cascaded first edge triggered logic elements each having an output for providing one of the first intermediate clock signals and each having an input for latching a previous one of the first intermediate clock signals in response to the first edges of the system clock, the cascaded first edge triggered logic elements including a first initializing logic element configured to receive the first set signal,

loop adjustment circuits for changing a size of the first configurable logic loop circuit by selectively coupling only one of the first intermediate clock signals to the first logic element in response to the ratio selector signals.

20. The bridge device of claim 19, wherein the second configurable logic loop circuit includes

cascaded second edge triggered logic elements each having an output for providing one of the second intermediate clock signals and each having an input for latching a previous one of the second intermediate clock signals in response to the second edges of the system clock, the cascaded second edge triggered logic elements including a second initializing logic element configured to receive the second set signal,

loop adjustment circuits for changing a size of the second configurable logic loop circuit by selectively coupling only one of the second intermediate clock signals to the second logic element in response to the ratio selector signals.

21. The bridge device of claim 13, wherein the clock combining logic includes

logic configuration circuitry for providing control signals in response to the ratio selector signals, and

clock generation circuitry configurable by the control signals for enabling a predetermined combination of the selected first intermediate clock signals and the selected second intermediate clock signals to be used for generating the memory clock having a frequency corresponding to the system clock divided by the one of at least two dynamically selectable clock divide ratios.

22. The bridge device of claim 18, wherein the frequency controller includes a clock initialization circuit for providing the first set signal and the second set signal in response to a reset condition.

23. The bridge device of claim 22, wherein the clock initialization circuit includes

at least one signal detector for providing at least one detection signal in response to a transition of at least one received signal,

a reset circuit for resetting the first configurable logic loop circuit and the second configurable logic loop circuit in response to the at least one detection signal, and

a startup synchronizer for providing the first set signal and the second set signal in response to the at least one detection signal, the second set signal being provided after a number of cycles of the system clock predetermined by the one of at least two dynamically selectable clock divide ratios.

24. The bridge device of claim 23, wherein the at least one signal detector includes

a chip enable signal detector for providing a first detection signal when a transition of a chip enable signal is detected, and

a divide ratio detector for providing a second detection signal when a change in a frequency divide ratio code corresponding to the one of at least two dynamically selectable clock divide ratios is detected, the at least one detection signal including the first detection signal and the second detection signal.

25. The bridge device of claim 23, wherein the reset circuit includes a power up reset circuit for providing a third detection signal when a power supply voltage reaches a predetermined threshold level.

26. The bridge device of claim 25, wherein the reset circuit generates a first reset signal for resetting the first configurable logic loop circuit and a second reset signal for resetting the first configurable logic loop circuit in response to at least one of the first detection signal, the second detection signal and the third detection signal.

27. The bridge device of claim 26, wherein the reset circuit generates the first reset signal at one of the first edges of the system clock after receiving at least one of the first detection signal, the second detection signal and the third detection signal, and generates the second reset signal at one of the second edges of the system clock immediately following the one of the first edges.

28. The bridge device of claim 23, wherein the startup synchronizer includes

an initializing logic element for generating the first set signal in response to the at least one detection signal at one of the second edges of the system clock,

cascaded logic elements for generating set configuration signals in response to the first set signal at subsequent second edges of the system clock following the one of the second edges,

a phase adjustment circuit for generating the second set signal in response to the ratio selector signal at one of the first edges of the system clock.