Memory hub with integrated non-volatile memory

• US 7,975,122 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2009
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Inventors: Schnepper, Randy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Portka; Gary J
• Application Number:
  US12/361,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1694 Configuration of memory controller to different memory types

Abstract

A memory hub having an integrated non-volatile memory for storing configuration information is provided. The memory hub includes a high-speed interface for receiving memory access requests, a non-volatile memory having memory configuration information stored therein, and a memory controller coupled to the high-speed interface and the non-volatile memory. The memory controller includes registers into which the memory configuration information is loaded and is operable to output memory requests in response to receiving memory access requests from the high-speed interface and in accordance with the memory configuration information loaded in the registers. A method for initializing a memory sub-system is also provided. The method includes loading configuration registers of a plurality of memory hubs with the configuration information provided by a respective one of a plurality of embedded non-volatile memories integrated in the respective memory hub.

Claims

1. A memory controller system comprising:

a non-volatile memory for storing configuration information that is stored in the non-volatile memory before initialization;

a first configuration path coupled to the non-volatile memory and configured to provide access to the non-volatile memory; and

a memory controller coupled to the non-volatile memory through the first configuration path and further coupled to memory, the memory controller having a plurality of configuration registers configured to load the configuration information from the non-volatile memory, the configuration information specific to the memory coupled to the memory controller, the memory controller operable to output memory requests to at least a portion of the memory coupled to the memory controller in response to receiving memory access requests from a host system and in accordance with the configuration information loaded in the plurality of registers; and

a second configuration path coupled to the non-volatile memory, the second configuration path configured to provide the host system access to the non-volatile memory.

2. The memory controller system of claim 1 further comprising a switch, the switch coupled to the memory controller and configured to couple the host system to the memory controller.

3. The memory controller system of claim 1 wherein the memory coupled to the memory controller comprises a plurality of memory devices.

4. The memory controller system of claim 1 wherein the memory controller is included in a memory hub.

5. The memory controller system of claim 1, wherein the second configuration path comprises a local serial bus coupled to the non-volatile memory and configured to provide the host system access to the non-volatile memory.

6. The memory controller system of claim 1 wherein the non-volatile memory comprises an embedded non-volatile memory integrated with the memory controller.

7. The memory controller system of claim 6 wherein the embedded non-volatile memory comprises an embedded array of electrically erasable programmable read-only memory.

8. The memory controller system of claim 1 wherein the memory controller is coupled to a plurality of memory devices through a memory device bus, the memory controller configure to operate with the plurality of memory devices that operate at different clock frequencies.

9. The memory controller system of claim 1 wherein the configuration information comprises timing information for at least a portion of the memory coupled to the memory controller, memory type, manufacturer data, or combinations thereof.

10. The memory controller system of claim 1 wherein the configuration information comprises memory capacity, memory clock speed, or combinations thereof.

11. A memory sub-system for a host system, comprising:

a bus configured to communicate with the host system; and

at least one memory controller, each memory controller coupled to the bus and coupled to respective memory to be accessed by the host system, each memory controller configured to control access to the respective coupled memory, receive memory access requests from the host system, and output memory access requests to the respective memory; and

at least one non-volatile memory coupled to the at least one memory controller, the non-volatile memory configured to store configuration information that is stored in the nonvolatile memory before initialization and is specific to the memory coupled to the at least one memory controller, the non-volatile memory being coupled to the at least one memory controller through a first configuration path configured to provide the memory controller with the configuration information; and

a second configuration path coupled to the non-volatile memory, the second configuration path configured to provide the host system access to the non-volatile memory.

12. The memory sub-system of claim 11 further comprising a switch, the switch coupled to the at least one memory controller and configured to couple the host system to the memory controller.

13. The memory sub-system of claim 11 wherein the respective memory coupled to the at least one memory controller comprises a plurality of memory devices.

14. The memory sub-system of claim 11 wherein each memory controller is in a memory hub.

15. The memory sub-system of claim 11, further comprising a local serial bus coupled to the non-volatile memory and configured to provide the host system access to the non-volatile memory.

16. The memory sub-system of claim 11 wherein the non-volatile memory comprises an embedded non-volatile memory integrated with the memory controller.

17. The memory sub-system of claim 16 wherein the embedded non-volatile memory comprises an embedded array of electrically erasable programmable read-only memory.

18. The memory sub-system of claim 11 wherein the memory controller comprises a memory controller configured to provide and receive signals specific to the respective memory coupled to the memory controller.

19. The memory sub-system of claim 11 wherein the memory controller is configured to operate with a plurality of memory devices that operate at different clock frequencies.

20. The memory sub-system of claim 11 wherein the configuration information comprises timing information for at least a portion of the memory coupled to the memory controller, memory type, manufacturer data, or combinations thereof.

21. The memory sub-system of claim 11 wherein the configuration information comprises memory capacity, memory clock speed, or combinations thereof.