Device and method for monitoring operation of a flash memory
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A flash memory device comprising:
- (a) an array of memory cells for storing data pages;
(b) at least one buffer for transferring said data pages between said array of memory cells and a host;
(c) an output pin dedicated only to having driven thereon a signal reflective of a condition from among a plurality of conditions of the flash memory device that are related to operation of said array of memory cells; and
(d) a logic mechanism that is operative to select, in response to at least one command from a host of the flash memory device, a first condition from among said plurality of conditions, said first condition for driving said signal, said signal has a value that changes in response to changes in said first condition.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A flash memory device includes an array of memory cells for storing data pages, at least one buffer (e.g. a memory buffer and a cache buffer) for transferring the data pages to and from the array of memory cells and a host, and an output pin. A logic mechanism is operative to select, from among a plurality of conditions related to an operation on the array of memory cells, a condition that drives a signal being output on the output pin. A data page transfer by the host is contingent on the signal being output on the output pin.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A flash memory device comprising:
-
(a) an array of memory cells for storing data pages; (b) at least one buffer for transferring said data pages between said array of memory cells and a host; (c) an output pin dedicated only to having driven thereon a signal reflective of a condition from among a plurality of conditions of the flash memory device that are related to operation of said array of memory cells; and (d) a logic mechanism that is operative to select, in response to at least one command from a host of the flash memory device, a first condition from among said plurality of conditions, said first condition for driving said signal, said signal has a value that changes in response to changes in said first condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method for monitoring operation of a flash memory device, the flash device having an output pin, the method comprising the steps of:
-
(a) sending a command to the flash memory device instructing the flash memory device to select a condition, from among a plurality of conditions, under which a state of an output pin changes in response to a ready/busy condition of said memory device, wherein said state of said output pin represents a single bit that is fully indicative of said selected condition until a different said single condition is selected in response to a sending of a subsequent command to the flash memory device; and (c) interrogating said selected condition by sensing a change in the state of said output pin that occurs in response to said ready/busy condition. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
-
-
14. A flash memory device comprising:
-
a memory array of memory cells for storing data; a buffer for transferring said data between said memory array and a host that is external to said memory device; an output pin, a value on the output pin indicates a ready/busy condition of the memory device, the ready busy condition is one of a plurality of ready/busy conditions of the memory device involving the memory array and the buffer; and a logic mechanism that is operative to receive a command from the host, the command identifies a first ready/busy condition of the plurality of ready/busy conditions, the logic mechanism causes the output pin to output a first value that specifies the first ready/busy condition, the first value on the output pin changes in response to the first ready/busy condition. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method of operating a flash memory device, the method comprising:
-
outputting a first hardware signal on a pin of the flash memory device, the first hardware signal has a value that specifies a first ready/busy condition out of a plurality of ready/busy conditions of the memory device; receiving a command from a host of the flash memory device while the first hardware signal is being output, the command identifies a second ready/busy condition of the memory device out of the plurality of ready/busy conditions; outputting a second hardware signal on the pin of the flash memory device in response to receiving the command, the second hardware signal has a value that specifies the second ready/busy condition; detecting a change in the second ready/busy condition of the memory device while outputting the second hardware signal; and changing the value of the second hardware signal on the pin to reflect the change in the second ready/busy condition. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A flash memory device comprising:
-
a memory array of memory cells for storing data; a buffer for transferring said data between said memory array and a host that is external to said memory device; a selector circuit that inputs a first hardware signal that specifies whether the memory array is busy or ready and a second hardware signal that specifies whether the buffer is busy or ready, the selector circuit is operative to form a third hardware signal that is a logical combination of whether the memory array is busy and whether the buffer is busy; an output pin coupled to the selector circuit, the output pin is dedicated to providing a single bit value that is one of the first hardware signal, the second hardware signal, and the third hardware signal, and a logic mechanism that is operative to receive a command from the host, the command identifies either a ready/busy condition of the memory array, a ready/busy condition of the buffer, or a logical combination of a ready/busy condition of the memory array and a ready/busy condition of the buffer, the logic mechanism controls the selector circuit to cause the output pin to output one of the first hardware signal, the second hardware signal, or the third hardware signal depending on what the command identifies.
-
Specification