Interface for flash EEPROM memory arrays

• US 6,279,069 B1
• Filed: 12/26/1996
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Christopherson, Mark, Kendall, Terry, Robinson, Kurt B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bataille, Pierre-Michel
• Application Number:
  US08/773,169
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 711/103, 711/100, 711/154, 711/156, 711/172, 711/170, 711/171, 711/206-209, 365/230.01, 365/185.33, 707/205, 395/309, 710/10-16, 309/327
• US Class Current: 711/103
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/06 Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for writing into memory
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/20 Initialising; Data preset; Chip identification

Abstract

A flash EEPROM memory device including a plurality of blocks of flash EEPROM memory cells arranged to be accessed in rows and columns, a query memory storing data defining characteristics of the flash memory device that may be used to initialize software device drivers for accessing the device, and an interface for receiving data and commands addressed to the blocks of flash EEPROM memory cells and generating signals for affecting the purpose of the commands in the flash EEPROM memory device, the interface adapted to receive a command scaled to a range of characteristics of a particular flash EEPROM memory device and respond by returning the data stored in the query memory as output depending on characteristics of the particular flash EEPROM memory device.

Claims

1. A memory system comprising:

a flash memory device;

a query memory residing within the flash memory device which stores data defining a parameter of the flash memory device;

a memory storing a software configured to execute multibyte write and multiblock erase operations;

a status register with an output that varies based on a particular operation being executed; and

a software driver coupled to the flash memory device to receive the data defining the parameter of the flash memory device.

2. The memory system of claim 1 wherein the query memory stores data defining a maximum number of bytes the flash memory device can write.

3. The memory system of claim 1 wherein the query memory stores data defining a number of erase block regions the flash memory device is capable of erasing.

4. The memory system of claim 1 wherein the query memory stores data defining a size and number of erase blocks in a region.

5. The memory system of claim 1 wherein the output of the status register indicates the availability of a write buffer during the time a write operation is being executed.

6. The memory system of claim 1 wherein the output of the status register indicates the availability of an erase queue to receive additional erase commands to the flash memory device during the time an erase operation is being executed.

7. A method of executing a multibyte write operation to a flash memory device comprising:

alerting a software driver of a write parameter of the flash memory device stored in a query memory residing within the flash memory device, the alerting performed in response to a query command decoded by a command interface;

transferring a plurality of bytes of write data to the flash memory device based on the write parameter of the device; and

changing an output of a status register to indicate a status of a particular operation being executed.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein transferring write data to the flash memory device further comprises using a first buffer to store a queue of data to be written to the flash memory device and using a second buffer to write data to the flash memory device.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein transferring write data to the flash memory device further comprises writing a number of bytes of data in parallel.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein changing the output to the status register further comprises providing an output particular to a write command.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising returning a status indicating the availability of a write buffer.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein alerting a software driver further comprises providing information from the query memory indicating a maximum number of bytes the flash memory device is capable of writing.

13. A method of executing a multiblock erase operation of a flash memory device comprising:

alerting a software driver of an erase parameter of the flash memory device stored in a query memory residing within the flash memory device, the alerting performed in response to a query command decoded by a command interface;

erasing multiple blocks of flash memory; and

changing an output of a status register to indicate a status of a particular operation being executed.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein erasing multiple blocks of flash memory further comprises queuing erase block addresses.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein erasing multiple blocks of flash memory further comprises erasing a number of blocks in parallel.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein changing the output to the status register further comprises providing an output particular to an erase command.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising returning a status indicating the availability of an erase queue to receive additional erase commands to the flash memory.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein alerting a software driver further comprises providing information from the query memory indicating a number of erase block regions the flash memory device is capable of erasing.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein alerting a software driver further comprises providing information from the query memory indicating a size and number of erase blocks in a region.

20. A machine readable media having stored thereon a sequence of commands which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the following:

alerting a software driver of a write parameter of the flash memory device stored in a query memory residing within the flash memory device, the alerting performed in response to a query command decoded by a command interface;

transferring a plurality of bytes of write data to the flash memory device based on the write parameter of the device; and

changing an output of a status register to indicate a status of a particular operation being executed.

21. The computer readable media of claim 20 wherein transferring write data to the flash memory device further comprises using a pair of write buffers such that a first buffer stores a queue of data to be written to the flash memory device and a second buffer writes data to the flash memory device.

22. The computer readable media of claim 20 wherein transferring write data to the flash memory device further comprises writing a number of bytes of data in parallel.

23. The computer readable media of claim 20 wherein changing the output to the status register further comprises providing an output particular to a write command.

24. The computer readable media of claim 23 further comprising returning a status indicating the availability of a write buffer.

25. The computer readable media of claim 20 wherein alerting a software driver further comprises providing information from the query memory indicating a maximum number of bytes the flash memory device is capable of writing.

26. A computer readable media having stored thereon a sequence of commands which when executed by a computer system cause the computer system to perform the following:

alerting a software driver of an erase parameter of the flash memory device stored in a query memory residing within the flash memory device, the alerting performed in response to a query command decoded by a command interface;

erasing multiple blocks of flash memory; and

changing an output of a status register to indicate a status of a particular operation being executed.

27. The computer readable media of claim 26 wherein erasing multiple blocks of flash memory further comprises queuing erase block addresses.

28. The computer readable media of claim 26 wherein erasing multiple blocks of flash memory further comprises erasing a number of blocks in parallel.

29. The computer readable media of claim 26 wherein changing the output to the read status register command further comprises providing an output particular to an erase command.

30. The computer readable media of claim 29 further comprising returning a status indicating the availability of an erase queue to receive additional erase commands to the flash memory.

31. The computer readable media of claim 26 wherein alerting a software driver further comprises providing information from the query memory indicating a number of erase block regions the flash memory device is capable of erasing.

32. The computer readable media of claim 31 wherein alerting a software driver further comprises providing information from the query memory indicating a size and number of erase blocks in a region.