Computer bus having page mode memory access
DCFirst Claim
1. Memory control apparatus for use in a data processing system having at least a requesting agent and said replying agent electrically coupled together by a system bus, the requesting agent requesting access to a memory on the replying agent for storing and retrieving data therein over the system bus, the apparatus comprising:
- means, associated with a replying agent, for detecting a request for initiating an access to a memory on the replying agent, the request detecting means being coupled to a system bus, and request being made over the system bus by a requesting agent;
means, responsive to the request detecting means detecting the request, for asserting a plurality of memory address control signals for accessing a plurality of times the memory on the replying agent, the control signals comprising at least a row address strobe signal associated with a memory row address and a column address strobe signal associated with a memory column address; and
means for detecting a completion of the access to the memory, the completion detecting means being responsive to an end of access control signal generated by the requesting agent, the access completion detecting means being coupled to the memory address control signal asserting means for halting the operation thereof after the end of access control signal is detected; and
whereinthe memory address control signal asserting means asserts the memory address control signals by asserting the row address strobe in conjunction with a row address being indicative of a page of data within the memory, and thereafter asserts and deasserts a plurality of times the column address strobe signal in conjunction with a plurality of column addresses for performing a page mode type of memory access.
10 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Reexaminations
Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus are disclosed for use in a digital computer system having a system bus for interconnecting together various agents. A page mode type of memory access provides for the rapid transmission of a block of data across the bus. Blocked refresh circuitry is also employed which disables, if possible, the burst refresh of the memory until a data transfer is completed. A local processor upon an agent having a memory controlled in such manner is provided with a high priority signal line for overriding a current bus transfer for gaining access to the memory. During such a high priority access the blocked refresh circuitry operates in a manner somewhat similar to its operation during the sequential bus transfer, however fewer rows are refreshed during the burst refresh.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. Memory control apparatus for use in a data processing system having at least a requesting agent and said replying agent electrically coupled together by a system bus, the requesting agent requesting access to a memory on the replying agent for storing and retrieving data therein over the system bus, the apparatus comprising:
-
means, associated with a replying agent, for detecting a request for initiating an access to a memory on the replying agent, the request detecting means being coupled to a system bus, and request being made over the system bus by a requesting agent; means, responsive to the request detecting means detecting the request, for asserting a plurality of memory address control signals for accessing a plurality of times the memory on the replying agent, the control signals comprising at least a row address strobe signal associated with a memory row address and a column address strobe signal associated with a memory column address; and means for detecting a completion of the access to the memory, the completion detecting means being responsive to an end of access control signal generated by the requesting agent, the access completion detecting means being coupled to the memory address control signal asserting means for halting the operation thereof after the end of access control signal is detected; and
whereinthe memory address control signal asserting means asserts the memory address control signals by asserting the row address strobe in conjunction with a row address being indicative of a page of data within the memory, and thereafter asserts and deasserts a plurality of times the column address strobe signal in conjunction with a plurality of column addresses for performing a page mode type of memory access. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method for controlling a memory for use in a data processing system having at least a requesting agent and a replying agent electrically coupled together by a system bus, the requesting agent requesting access to a memory on the replying agent for storing and retrieving data therein over the system bus, the method comprising the steps of:
-
detecting a request from a requesting agent for initiating an access to said memory on a replying agent; asserting a plurality of memory address control signals for accessing the memory on the replying agent, the control signals comprising at least a row address strobe signal associated with a memory row address and a column address strobe signal associated with a memory column address; and detecting a logic state of an end of access system bus control signal that indicates a completion of the access to the memory; and
whereinthe step of asserting is accomplished by asserting the row address strobe signal in conjunction with a memory row address indicative of a page of data within the memory, and thereafter asserting and deasserting a plurality of times the column address strobe signal, in conjunction with a plurality of memory column addresses, for performing a page mode type of memory access. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification