MEMORY WITH VARIABLE OPERATION VOLTAGE AND THE ADJUSTING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20140351609A1
• Filed: 05/23/2014
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Etron Technology Inc, Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Etron Technology Inc, Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: SHIAH, Chun, RONG, Bor-Doou
• Granted Patent: US 9,465,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3275 Power saving in memory, e.g. RAM, cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A memory with variable operation voltage is disclosed. The disclosed DRAM comprises a core memory module, a register, and a first voltage adjustment module. The core memory module operates with a first control voltage. The register is used for storing a plurality of control signals and selecting one among the control signals as a voltage control signal according to an input signal. The first voltage adjustment module is respectively electrically connected to the register, the core memory module, and an external voltage, so as to provide the first control voltage according to the voltage control signal and the external voltage.

Claims

1. A memory with variable operation voltage, comprising:

a first core memory module for accessing a first data with a first control voltage;

a register for storing a plurality of control signals and selecting one among the control signals as a voltage control signal according to an input signal, wherein the register complies with a specification established by Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC); and

a first voltage adjustment module electrically connected to the register, the first core memory module and an external voltage, respectively, so as to provide the first control voltage according to the voltage control signal and the external voltage.

2. The memory according to claim 1, wherein the first voltage adjustment module comprises:

a first voltage source for providing a plurality of first voltage;

a first voltage regulator for outputting the first control voltage according to a first reference voltage and the external voltage; and

a first voltage selector electrically connected to the register, the first voltage source and the first voltage regulator, respectively, for electrically connecting one of the plurality of first voltage to the first voltage regulator as the first reference voltage.

3. The memory according to claim 2, further comprising:

a peripheral circuitry electrically connected to the first core memory module for accessing the first data in the core memory module according an access instruction; and

a second voltage adjustment module electrically connected to the register, a first peripheral circuitry and an external voltage signal, respectively, for providing a second control voltage to the first peripheral circuitry according to the voltage control signal and the external voltage.

4. The memory according to claim 3, further comprising:

a second core memory module for accessing a second data with a third control voltage; and

a second peripheral circuitry electrically connected the second core memory module and the second voltage adjustment module for accessing the second data in the second core memory module according to the access instruction;

wherein first voltage adjustment module electrically connected the second core memory module provides the third control voltage according the voltage control signal and the external voltage signal, and the second voltage adjustment module provides the second control voltage to the second peripheral circuitry.

5. The memory according to claim 3, wherein the second voltage adjustment module comprises:

a second voltage source for providing a plurality of second voltage;

a second voltage regulator for outputting the second control voltage according to a second reference voltage and the external voltage; and

a second voltage selector electrically connected to the register, the second voltage source and the second voltage regulator, respectively, for electrically connecting one of the plurality of second voltage to the second voltage regulator as the second reference voltage.

6. The memory according to claim 2, wherein the first voltage regulator comprises:

an amplifier electrically connected to the voltage selector for generating a current control signal according to the first reference and the first control voltage;

an analog switch electrically connected to the external voltage and the amplifier for an current acquired from the external voltage according to the current control signal; and

an impedance element electrically connected to the analog switch and a ground terminal for generating the first control voltage with the current.

7. The memory according to claim 1, wherein the first voltage adjustment module comprises:

a voltage source for providing a plurality of voltages, wherein the voltage source comprises;

a current source having a first node and a second node connected to the external voltage, electrically connected to the register for adjusting a reference current according to the voltage control signal;

an impedance element having a third node connected to the second node and a fourth node connected to a ground terminal; and

a first voltage regulator for outputting the first control voltage according to a first reference voltage and the external voltage;

wherein a voltage difference between the second node and the ground terminal defines the first reference voltage, while a reference current flows through the impedance element.

8. The memory according to claim 1, wherein the register is a mode register comprising:

a first register block for a plurality of operation mode data related to the core memory module; and

a second register block for storing the control signals and a lookup table comprising a corresponding relationship between the input signal and the voltage control signal.

9. The memory according to claim 2, wherein the voltage source comprises:

a plurality of resisters connected in series between the external voltage and a ground terminal for providing the voltages.

10. An operation voltage adjustment method for a memory, comprising:

providing an external voltage;

generating a control signal according to a lookup table and an input signal; and

acquiring power from the external voltage and providing a first control voltage to a core memory module by a first voltage adjustment module according to the control signal.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first voltage adjustment module comprises a first voltage source, a voltage selector and a voltage regulator, the voltage provides a plurality of voltages, the voltage selector provides one of the voltages to the voltage regulator as a reference voltage according the control signal, and the voltage regulator acquires power from the external voltage and generates the first control voltage according the reference voltage.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first voltage adjustment module comprises a current source, an impedance element and a voltage regulator, and the current source acquires a reference current form the external voltage according the control signal, the reference current flowing through the impedance element to produce a reference voltage, and the voltage regulator acquires power from the external voltage and generates the first control voltage according to the reference voltage.

13. A memory with variable operation voltage, comprising:

a plurality of core memory modules;

a plurality of peripheral circuitries;

a register complying with a specification established by Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC), for storing a plurality of control signals; and

a voltage adjustment module respectively electrically connected to the register, the core memory modules, the peripheral circuitries, and an external voltage, so as to provide control voltages for the core memory modules and the peripheral circuitries according to the control signals and the external voltage.

14. The memory according to claim 13, wherein the memory divides the core memory modules into a first group and a second group according the control signals of the register, the voltage adjustment module provides the control voltages for the first group and the control voltages for the second group according the control signals and the external voltage, wherein the control voltages for the first group could be different from the control voltages for the second group.

15. The memory according to claim 13, wherein the memory divides the core memory modules into a first group and a second group according the control signals of the register, the register provides a first working frequency for the first group and a second working frequency for the second group according to the control signals.

16. The memory according to claim 13, wherein the memory divides the core memory modules into a first peripheral circuitry group and a second peripheral circuitry group according the control signals of the register, the voltage adjustment module provides the control voltages for the first peripheral circuitry group and the control voltages for the second peripheral circuitry group according the control signals and the external voltage, wherein the control voltages for the first peripheral circuitry group are the same as the control voltages for the second peripheral circuitry group.