Non-volatile memory module
First Claim
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1. A non-volatile memory module for use in a system having a predetermined system voltage comprising:
- a mounting substrate having an input port and an output port;
a memory array including at least one volatile memory mounted on the mounting substrate, said volatile memory having a power input terminal for coupling power to said volatile memory in normal operation;
a rechargeable battery mounted on the mounting substrate, said rechargeable battery having first and second connections;
a switch circuit mounted on said mounting substrate and having an input terminal coupled to said rechargeable battery, an output terminal coupled to the power input terminal and a control terminal operative to cause said switch to assume one of a high impedance and a low impedance state in response to a control signal;
a charging circuit mounted on the mounting substrate, said charging circuit having a charging circuit output coupled to said first battery connection and a charging circuit input for coupling to said predetermined system voltage;
a system voltage monitoring circuit having a first port coupled to said input port of the mounting substrate and having an output port coupled to the control terminal of said switch circuit, wherein said system voltage monitoring circuit activates the control terminal of said switch in response to the predetermined system voltage reaching a predetermined threshold voltage;
a battery voltage monitor circuit disposed on said mounting substrate, said battery voltage monitor circuit having an input port coupled to said first battery connection and having an output port coupled to said output port of said mounting substrate, said battery voltage monitor circuit being operative to provide a warning signal at said output port when the voltage at said first battery connection drops below a predetermined value,wherein said rechargeable battery includes one of a lithium cell and a nickel cadmium cell and said memory array includes one of a dynamic random access memory array and a pseudo-static random access memory array; and
a battery temperature monitor circuit disposed on said memory module and coupled to said charging circuit, said battery temperature monitor circuit being operative to produce an output voltage indicative of the ambient temperature, said battery temperature monitoring circuit having a voltage threshold and being operative to permit charging of said rechargeable battery only if the battery temperature monitoring circuit output voltage is below said voltage threshold.
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Abstract
A non-volatile memory module includes a charging circuit, a battery couple to the charging circuit, a volatile memory and an electronic switch coupled between the volatile memory and the battery.
192 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A non-volatile memory module for use in a system having a predetermined system voltage comprising:
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a mounting substrate having an input port and an output port; a memory array including at least one volatile memory mounted on the mounting substrate, said volatile memory having a power input terminal for coupling power to said volatile memory in normal operation; a rechargeable battery mounted on the mounting substrate, said rechargeable battery having first and second connections; a switch circuit mounted on said mounting substrate and having an input terminal coupled to said rechargeable battery, an output terminal coupled to the power input terminal and a control terminal operative to cause said switch to assume one of a high impedance and a low impedance state in response to a control signal; a charging circuit mounted on the mounting substrate, said charging circuit having a charging circuit output coupled to said first battery connection and a charging circuit input for coupling to said predetermined system voltage; a system voltage monitoring circuit having a first port coupled to said input port of the mounting substrate and having an output port coupled to the control terminal of said switch circuit, wherein said system voltage monitoring circuit activates the control terminal of said switch in response to the predetermined system voltage reaching a predetermined threshold voltage; a battery voltage monitor circuit disposed on said mounting substrate, said battery voltage monitor circuit having an input port coupled to said first battery connection and having an output port coupled to said output port of said mounting substrate, said battery voltage monitor circuit being operative to provide a warning signal at said output port when the voltage at said first battery connection drops below a predetermined value, wherein said rechargeable battery includes one of a lithium cell and a nickel cadmium cell and said memory array includes one of a dynamic random access memory array and a pseudo-static random access memory array; and a battery temperature monitor circuit disposed on said memory module and coupled to said charging circuit, said battery temperature monitor circuit being operative to produce an output voltage indicative of the ambient temperature, said battery temperature monitoring circuit having a voltage threshold and being operative to permit charging of said rechargeable battery only if the battery temperature monitoring circuit output voltage is below said voltage threshold.
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2. A single in-line memory module (SIMM) for use in a system having a predetermined system voltage and adapted for use on a motherboard having a SIMM connector disposed thereon wherein the motherboard provides said predetermined system voltage to the memory module, said memory module comprising:
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a printed circuit board; a volatile memory array disposed on said printed circuit board; a plurality of conductive pads arranged on the edge of said printed circuit board in a pattern adapted to interface with the SIMM connector on the motherboard; a battery disposed on said printed circuit board; a charging circuit disposed on said printed circuit board and coupled to said battery, said charging circuit being coupleable to said predetermined system voltage through at least one of said conductive pads; and a switch circuit having a control terminal, disposed on said printed circuit board and coupled between said battery and said volatile memory array and operative to electrically connect said battery to said volatile memory array and to disconnect said predetermined system voltage from said volatile memory array in a first state and to electrically disconnect said battery from said volatile memory array and to couple said predetermined system voltage to said volatile memory array in a second state; and a power monitoring circuit having a first port coupled to a first one of the plurality of conductive pads, and having a second port coupled to the control terminal of said switch circuit wherein said power monitoring circuit detects changes in the system voltage level and in response to the changes in the system voltage level said power monitoring circuit provides a control signal to the control terminal of said switch circuit to place said switch circuit in one of the first state and the second state. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A disk storage sub-system coupled between a host processor and a plurality of disk drives, the disk storage sub-system comprising:
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a sub-system controller; a logic controller coupled to said sub-system controller, said logic controller for receiving and providing data and address information between said sub-system controller and the plurality of disk drives; a host interface circuit having a first input port coupled to said sub-system controller, having a second input port adapted to couple to the host processor and having a control logic port coupled to said logic controller; a disk drive interface circuit having a first input port coupled to said sub-system controller, having a second port adapted to coupled to each of the plurality of disk drives and having a control logic port coupled to said logic controller; and a non-volatile single in-line memory module (SIMM), coupled to said logic controller, said non-volatile SIMM including; a volatile memory array; a battery; and a switch circuit having a first terminal coupled to said volatile memory array, having a second terminal coupled to said battery and having a control terminal coupled to a control port of said memory circuit. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A disk storage system for storing data from a host computer, said disk storage system comprising:
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a disk drive; a disk controller having a first interface coupled to the host computer, said disk controller for receiving data to be written to said disk drive, said disk controller including; a write cache for temporarily storing the data to be written to said at least one disk drive; said disk controller providing a signal to the host to indicate that the data has been stored prior to the actual storage of the data on said disk drive; said write cache including a non-volatile single in-line memory module comprising; a memory array including a volatile memory mounted on the memory module, said volatile memory having a power input terminal; a rechargeable battery mounted on the memory module; and a switch circuit having a first terminal coupled to said rechargeable battery, a second terminal coupled to said the power input terminal of said volatile memory, said switch circuit having a control terminal operative to cause said switch to assume one of a high impedance and a low impedance state in response to an applied signal. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification