Memory device equipped with a RAS circuit
First Claim
1. A storage device equipped with a reliability, availability and serviceability (referred to as "RAS") circuit, having a memory unit for storing data to which an error-correcting code (referred to as "ECC") has been applied, and an ECC checking circuit for detecting 1-bit, or more than 2-bit error contained in data read from the memory unit, characterized by comprising:
- a diagnostic data inverting unit connected between said memory unit and said ECC checking circuit for diagnosing an error mode with respect to said ECC checking circuit and said memory unit by inverting into diagnostic data the data being read from said memory unit during the checking operation by said ECC checking circuit wherein said diagnostic data inverting unit includes;
a test switch connected to said memory unit;
a data input latch circuit for latching said data in response to a latch signal;
a latch-output-validity selecting gate connected to said data input latch circuit for selectively controlling validity and invalidity of the output of asid data input latch circuit; and
an exclusive OR circuit connected to receive a mode input and the output of said latch circuit for generating an OR-gated signal between the mode input and the data input.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a storage unit equipped with a Reliablity, Availability and Serviceability (RAS) circuit, including a memory unit constructed of, e.g., a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) unit, for storing data with an error coding code (ECC), and an ECC unit constructed of e.g., an ECC checking circuit, for correcting a 1-bit error and detecting a 1-bit error, or more than 2-bit error contained in the data read from the memory unit, an ECC diagnostic unit is connected between said memory unit and said ECC unit, and an error made concerning the memory unit and ECC unit is diagnosed by the ECC diagnostic unit by selectively inverting the data read from the memory unit into diagnostic data during the checking operation of the ECC units to diagnose proper operation of the ECC unit and detect erros.
132 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A storage device equipped with a reliability, availability and serviceability (referred to as "RAS") circuit, having a memory unit for storing data to which an error-correcting code (referred to as "ECC") has been applied, and an ECC checking circuit for detecting 1-bit, or more than 2-bit error contained in data read from the memory unit, characterized by comprising:
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a diagnostic data inverting unit connected between said memory unit and said ECC checking circuit for diagnosing an error mode with respect to said ECC checking circuit and said memory unit by inverting into diagnostic data the data being read from said memory unit during the checking operation by said ECC checking circuit wherein said diagnostic data inverting unit includes; a test switch connected to said memory unit; a data input latch circuit for latching said data in response to a latch signal; a latch-output-validity selecting gate connected to said data input latch circuit for selectively controlling validity and invalidity of the output of asid data input latch circuit; and an exclusive OR circuit connected to receive a mode input and the output of said latch circuit for generating an OR-gated signal between the mode input and the data input.
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2. A storage device equipped with a RAS circuit, including a memory unit for data with ECC, and an ECC checking circuit for detecting an error contained in the data read from said memory unit, and a memory unit/ECC checking circuit control unit for controlling said memory unit and said ECC checking circuit, characterized in that
said memory unit is constructed of a dynamic random access memory (referred to as "DRAM") element; -
said DRAM memory unit delivers a refreshing status signal, by which reading operation is carried out during refreshing operation, to said memory unit/ECC checking circuit control unit; when a 1-bit error is detected by said ECC checking circuit from output data of said DRAM memory unit, correcting data is rewritten into corresponding address of said DRAM element, and only said 1-bit error is corrected during the reading operation other than said refreshing operation; and an operating cycle control circuit for the storage device is included in said memory unit/ECC checking circuit control unit, said refreshing status signal of said memory unit and a 1-bit error detection signal generated from said ECC checking circuit being input via an AND circuit into said operating cycle control circuit. - View Dependent Claims (3)
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4. A storage device equipped with a RAS circuit comprising:
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a data bus for transmitting various data within the storage device; a memory unit for storing data with ECC; an ECC unit connected to said data bus via a 1-bit error register and a 2-bit and more bit error status signal generator, for correcting the errors in case of a 1-bit error and detecting the errors occurring in the storage device by selectively inverting 1-bit or more than 2-bit data of the output data of said memory unit to diagnose proper operation of said ECC unit and detect errors; an ECC diagnostic unit connected between said ECC unit and said memory unit, for diagnosing extraordinary outputs of said memory units by receiving the output data of said memory unit and for supplying results of said diagnosis to said ECC unit; and an ECC function/memory element diagnostic unit connected to said data bus, for diagnosing whether or not said ECC function of said ECC unit is malfunctioning and whether or not said memory element constituting said memory unit has failed by confirming various functions of the 1-bit error correction by said ECC unit, of the 2-bit error detection, of Hamming code generation and of syndrome code generation based upon the result of the diagnosis by said ECC diagnostic unit. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification