Destination indication to aid in posted write buffer loading

• US 7,836,380 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Bains, Kuljit S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Torres; Joseph D
• Application Number:
  US11/591,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20080115039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• Field of Search: 714/766, 714/773
• US Class Current: 714/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1044 with specific ECC/EDC distribution

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to systems, methods, and apparatuses for a destination indication to aid in posted write buffer loading. In some embodiments, a memory device includes a posted write buffer having a first element and a second element. The memory device may also include logic to detect a destination indication associated with received write data. In some embodiments, the logic determines whether to store the received write data in the first element or the second element based, at least in part, on the destination indication. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A volatile memory device formed on an integrated circuit, the memory device comprising:

a memory array having a first memory array portion and a second memory array portion;

a posted write buffer (PWB) coupled with the memory array, wherein the posted write buffer includes a first PWB element located proximate to the first memory array portion and a second PWB element located proximate to the second memory array portion; and

logic to detect a destination indication associated with received write data, wherein the logic determines whether to store the received write data in the first PWB element or the second PWB element based, at least in part, on the destination indication.

2. The memory device of claim 1, wherein if the received write data is to be stored in first PWB element, then corresponding error correction code (ECC) is stored in the second PWB element.

3. The memory device of claim 1, wherein the first PWB element of the posted write buffer is physically separate from the second PWB element of the posted write buffer.

4. The memory device of claim 3, wherein the first PWB element of the posted write buffer is located on a first side of the memory device and the second PWB element of the posted write buffer is located on a second side of the memory device.

5. The memory device of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory core having a first portion to store data bits and a second portion to store error correction code (ECC) bits corresponding to the data bits.

6. The memory device of claim 5, wherein the memory core includes a split bank pair of memory banks having a first memory bank corresponding to the first portion and a second memory bank corresponding to the second portion.

7. The memory device of claim 6, wherein data bits are to be stored in the first memory bank and corresponding ECC bits are to be stored in the second memory bank.

8. The memory device of claim 6, wherein the memory device is capable of operating in a memory check mode and a non-error check mode.

9. The memory device of claim 1, wherein the memory device comprises a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device.

10. A system comprising:

a memory controller; and

a memory device formed on an integrated circuit the memory device coupled with the memory controller, the memory device including

a memory array having a first memory array portion and a second memory array portion;

a posted write buffer (PWB) coupled with the memory array, wherein the posted write buffer includes a first PWB element located proximate to the first memory array portion and a second PWB element located proximate to the second memory array portion; and

logic to detect a destination indication associated with received write data, wherein the logic determines whether to store the received write data in the first PWB element or the second PWB element based, at least in part, on the destination indication.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein data is to be stored in the first PWB element if the corresponding error correction code (ECC) is stored in the second PWB element.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first PWB element of the posted write buffer is physically separate from the second PWB element of the posted write buffer.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the memory controller includes logic to generate a destination indicator associated with the write data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the memory device includes a memory core having a first portion to store the one or more data bits and a second portion to store the one or more ECC bits.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the memory core includes a split bank pair of memory banks having a first memory bank corresponding to the first portion and a second memory bank corresponding to the second portion.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the memory device is capable of operating in an error check mode and a non-error check mode.