Flash memory module

• US 5,438,536 A
• Filed: 04/05/1994
• Issued: 08/01/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: US Robotics Incorporated
• Inventors: Salzman, Scot W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fears, Terrell W.
• Application Number:
  US08/223,103
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 365/52, 365/189.01, 365/200, 365/202, 365/244
• US Class Current: 365/52
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/14 Power supply arrangements , e.g. power down, chip selection or deselection, layout of wirings or power grids, or multiple supply levels
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/12 Group selection circuits, e.g. for memory block selection, chip selection, array selection

Abstract

A module incorporating flash memory chips. An interface enables power down of the chips in response to a power down signal and provides an interrupt signal indicating when all of the ready lines from the memory chips are in a ready state, thereby reducing the need for polling the status registers in the chips.

Claims

1. A memory module comprising in combination:

a circuit board having mounted thereon a plurality of flash memory chips, each said chip having a status register, a ready line having both a ready state, indicating that the chip has completed a write or erase operation, and a power down state initiated by a power down signal; and

interrupt means for indicating when all of said ready lines are in said ready state, whereby the need for polling each of said status registers is reduced.

2. A module, as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising selection means for individually selecting each of said chips.

3. A module, as claimed in claim 2, and further comprising power down bus means for transmitting said power down signal to each of said chips.

4. A module, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said chips comprise eight chips.

5. A module, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said chips are arranged in a straight line.

6. A module, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said circuit board comprises pins arranged on only one side of said board.

7. A module, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said interrupt means comprises means for logically coupling said ready lines by a logical OR function.

8. A module, as claimed in claim 7, wherein means for logically coupling comprises diodes.