Multiple processor system and method including multiple memory hub modules

• US 7,581,055 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2007
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Jeddeloh, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart; Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cerullo; Jeremy S
• Application Number:
  US12/002,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20080215792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 710/317, 711/117, 711/170
• US Class Current: 710/317
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0862 with prefetch
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/00 Details of stores covered by group G11C11/00

Abstract

A processor-based electronic system includes several memory modules arranged in first and second ranks. The memory modules in the first rank are directly accessed by any of several processors, and the memory modules in the second rank are accessed by the processors through the memory modules in the first rank. The data bandwidth between the processors and the memory modules in the second rank is varied by varying the number of memory modules in the first rank that are used to access the memory module in the second set. Each of the memory modules includes several memory devices coupled to a memory hub. The memory hub includes a memory controller coupled to each memory device, a link interface coupled to a respective processor or memory module, and a cross bar switch coupling any of the memory controllers to any of the link interfaces.

Claims

1. A memory system, comprising:

a plurality of memory requestors;

a first rank containing a plurality of memory modules each of which comprises;

a plurality of memory devices; and

a memory hub coupled to a plurality of the memory requestors and to the memory devices in the memory module, the memory hub in each of the memory modules in the first rank including a plurality of first ports and being configured to allow any of the memory requesters to access the memory devices to which it is coupled or to access any of the first ports in the memory hub; and

a second rank containing a plurality of memory modules each of which comprises;

a plurality of memory devices; and

a memory hub coupled to the memory devices in the memory module, each of the memory modules in the second rank including a plurality of second ports corresponding in number to the number of memory modules in the first rank, the memory hub in each of the memory modules in the second rank being coupled to each of the memory modules in the first rank through respective ones of the first ports and the second ports, the memory hub in each of the memory modules in the second rank being operable to allow any of the memory requestors to access the memory devices to which it is coupled through at least one memory module in the first rank.

2. The memory system of claim 1 wherein the memory hub in each of the memory modules in the first rank comprise a cross bar switch operable to couple any of the memory requesters to any of the memory devices to which it is connected and to the memory hub in any of the memory modules in the second set.

3. A memory system, comprising:

a plurality of memory requestors; and

a first rank of memory modules each of which comprise;

a plurality of memory devices; and

a memory hub comprising;

a plurality of memory controllers, each of the memory controllers being coupled to at least one of the memory devices in the memory module;

a cross bar switch having a plurality of first switch ports, a plurality of second switch ports, and a plurality of memory ports, each of the first switch ports being coupled to a respective one of the memory requesters, and each of the memory ports being coupled to a respective one of the memory controllers, the cross bar switch being operable to selectively couple each of the memory requesters to any one of the memory controllers through a respective one of the first switch ports and to selectively couple each of the memory requesters to any one of the second switch ports; and

a second rank of memory modules each of which comprise;

a plurality of memory devices; and

a memory hub comprising;

a plurality of memory controllers, each of the memory controllers being coupled to at least one of the memory devices in the memory module; and

a cross bar switch having a plurality of third switch ports and a plurality of memory ports, each of the third switch ports being coupled to one of the second switch ports in the memory hub in a respective one of the memory modules in the first rank, and each of the memory ports being coupled to a respective one of the memory controllers, the cross bar switch being operable to selectively couple each of the memory modules in the first plurality to any one of the memory controllers in the memory hub.

4. The memory system of claim 3 wherein each of the memory devices comprises a dynamic random access memory device.

5. The memory system of claim 3 wherein each of the memory hubs further comprises a respective cache memory device associated with each of the memory controllers, each of the cache memory devices being operable to store data that is accessed through a respective one of the memory ports of the cross bar switch.

6. The memory system of claim 3 wherein the memory devices, the memory controllers and the cross bar switch in each of the memory hubs are fabricated as a common integrated circuit in a semiconductor substrate.

7. The memory system of claim 3 wherein each of the memory hubs further comprises a respective write buffer associated with each of the memory controllers, each of the write buffers being operable to receive write data and associated write addresses through a respective one of the memory ports of the cross bar switch and to store the write data and addresses for subsequent coupling to a respective one of the memory controllers.

8. The memory system of claim 7 wherein each of the write buffers accumulate write data and addresses for a plurality of write memory accesses and then sequentially couple the plurality of write data and addresses to a respective one of the memory controllers without any intervening read memory accesses.

9. The memory system of claim 3 wherein each of the memory hubs further comprise a direct memory access device coupled to the cross bar switch and the memory controllers, the direct memory access device being operable to cause the cross bar switch and each of the memory controllers to perform memory write and read accesses.

10. The memory system of claim 3 wherein at least some of the memory requesters comprise a processor.

11. The memory system of claim 3 wherein at least some of the memory requesters comprise a direct memory access device.