Systems and apparatus with programmable memory control for heterogeneous main memory

• US 8,051,253 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Virident Systems, LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Virident Systems Inc. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Moussa, George, Okin, Kenneth Alan, Karamcheti, Vijay, Parekh, Rajesh, Ganapathy, Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai; Tuan V
• Application Number:
  US11/864,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20080082766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: 711/5, 711/102, 711/103, 711/104, 711/154, 711/100, 711/105
• US Class Current: 711/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/08 in hierarchically structured memory systems, e.g. virtual memory systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0893 Caches characterised by their organisation or structure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1684 using multiple buses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1694 Configuration of memory controller to different memory types
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/205 Hybrid memory, e.g. using both volatile and non-volatile memory
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A computer system is disclosed including a printed circuit board (PCB) including a plurality of traces, at least one processor mounted to the PCB to couple to some of the plurality of traces, a heterogeneous memory channel including a plurality of sockets coupled to a memory channel bus of the PCB, and a memory controller coupled between the at least one processor and the heterogeneous memory channel. The heterogeneous memory channel includes a plurality of sockets coupled to a memory channel bus of the PCB. The plurality of sockets are configured to receive a plurality of different types of memory modules. The memory controller may be a programmable heterogeneous memory controller to flexibly adapt to the memory channel bus to control access to each of the different types of memory modules in the heterogeneous memory channel.

Claims

1. A main memory comprising:

a programmable heterogeneous memory controller having a first memory channel interface to couple to a first memory channel;

the first memory channel coupled to the programmable heterogeneous memory controller, the first memory channel having

a first memory channel bus coupled to the first memory channel interface of the programmable heterogeneous memory controller, and

a plurality of sockets coupled to the first memory channel bus, the plurality of sockets capable of respectively receiving a plurality of memory modules; and

wherein the programmable heterogeneous memory controller just prior to accessing a first memory module adapts the first memory channel interface on the fly to communicate with the first memory module with a first type of memory, just prior to accessing a second memory module adapts the first memory channel interface on the fly to communicate with the second memory module with a second type of memory differing from the first type of memory, and just prior to accessing a third memory module adapts the first memory channel interface on the fly to communicate with the third memory module with a third type of memory differing from the second type of memory.

2. The main memory of claim 1, wherein

the main memory is part of a system including a plurality of processor sockets,

the programmable heterogeneous memory controller is packaged into an integrated circuit package without a processor, and

wherein the integrated circuit package has a processor compatible pinout and the programmable heterogeneous memory controller is coupled into one of the plurality of processor sockets.

3. The main memory of claim 1, wherein

the programmable heterogeneous memory controller is co-packaged into an integrated circuit package with a processor to couple into a processor socket.

4. The main memory of claim 1, wherein

the memory channel bus includes

one or more point to point wires independently coupled between the memory controller and each respective socket, and

a plurality of bus wires coupled to the memory controller and every socket in the memory channel.

5. The main memory of claim 4, wherein

one of the one or more point to point wires communicates a feedback control signal from each memory module to the memory controller.

6. The main memory of claim 1, wherein

the memory channel interface is adapted periodically on the fly by reassigning one or more wire interconnect to different logical functions.

7. The main memory of claim 6, wherein

the memory channel interface is further adapted periodically on the fly by flexible signal timing of the signals over the one or more interconnect.

8. The main memory of claim 6, wherein

the memory channel interface is further adapted periodically on the fly by generating and receiving different voltage levels for logic one and logic zero signals over the one or more interconnect.

9. The main memory of claim 6, wherein

the memory channel interface is further adapted periodically on the fly by altering pin type and directional signal flow over the one or more interconnect.

10. The main memory of claim 6, wherein

the one or more wire interconnects are address signals reassigned to be status signals.

11. The main memory of claim 6, wherein

the one or more wire interconnects are address signals reassigned to be control signals.

12. The main memory of claim 6, wherein

the one or more wire interconnects are address signals reassigned to be data signals.

13. The main memory of claim 6, wherein

the one or more wire interconnects are data signals reassigned to be address signals.

14. The main memory of claim 6, wherein

the one or more wire interconnects are data signals reassigned to be control signals.

15. The main memory of claim 6, wherein

the one or more wire interconnects are data signals reassigned to be status signals.

16. The main memory of claim 6, wherein

the one or more wire interconnects are control signals reassigned to be address signals.

17. The main memory of claim 6, wherein

the one or more wire interconnects are control signals reassigned to be data signals.

18. The main memory of claim 6, wherein

the one or more wire interconnects are control signals reassigned to be status signals.

19. The main memory of claim 1, wherein

the data bandwidth of each of the first memory, the second memory, and the third memory differs.

20. The main memory of claim 1, wherein

the first memory module is a dynamic random access memory module with dynamic random access memory,

the second memory module is a non-volatile memory module with non-volatile memory,

the third memory module is a static random access memory module with static random access memory.

21. The main memory of claim 1, wherein

just prior to accessing the first memory module once again, the programmable heterogeneous memory controller re-adapts the first memory channel interface on the fly to communicate with the first memory module with the first type of memory differing from the second type of memory.

22. The main memory of claim 1, wherein

wherein the programmable heterogeneous memory controller just prior to accessing a fourth memory module adapts the first memory channel interface on the fly to communicate with the fourth memory module with a fourth type of memory differing from the third type of memory.

23. The main memory of claim 1, wherein

the programmable heterogeneous memory controller further has a second memory channel interface to couple to a memory channel;

and

the main memory further comprises

a second memory channel coupled to the programmable heterogeneous memory controller, the second memory channel having

a second memory channel bus coupled to the second memory channel interface of the programmable heterogeneous memory controller, and

a second plurality of sockets coupled to the second memory channel bus, the second plurality of sockets capable of respectively receiving a plurality of memory modules;

wherein the programmable heterogeneous memory controller just prior to accessing a fourth memory module adapts the second memory channel interface on the fly to communicate with the fourth memory module with a fourth type of memory, just prior to accessing a fifth memory module adapts the second memory channel interface on the fly to communicate with the fifth memory module with a fifth type of memory differing from the fourth type of memory, and just prior to accessing a sixth memory module adapts the second memory channel interface on the fly to communicate with the sixth memory module with a sixth type of memory differing from the fifth type of memory.

24. A main memory comprising:

a memory controller having one or more memory channel interfaces to couple to one or more respective memory channels;

a memory channel having a memory channel bus coupled to one memory channel interface of the memory controller;

a first dynamic random access memory module coupled to the memory channel bus; and

a first non-volatile memory module coupled to the memory channel bus;

wherein communication over the memory channel bus is specified by a standard specification with standard specification data and instructions, and

wherein the first non-volatile memory module is a translating memory module, the translating memory module including

a printed circuit board;

a non-volatile memory integrated circuit mounted to the printed circuit board; and

a translator mounted to the printed circuit board and coupled between the memory channel bus and the non-volatile memory integrated circuit, the translator configured to translate standard specification data and instructions read from the memory channel bus into memory data and instructions for the non-volatile memory integrated circuit, the translator further configured to translate data and instructions from the non-volatile memory integrated circuit into standard specification data and instructions for writing out to the memory channel bus.

25. The main memory of claim 24, wherein

the translator translates between signal logic levels associated with the standard specification data and instructions of the memory channel bus and signal logic levels associated with the data and instructions of the non-volatile memory integrated circuit.

26. The main memory of claim 24, wherein

the translator translates between signal timing associated with the standard specification data and instructions of the memory channel bus and signal timing associated with the data and instructions of the non-volatile memory integrated circuit.

27. A computer system comprising:

a printed circuit board including a plurality of traces;

at least one processor coupled to one or more of the plurality of traces of the printed circuit board;

a first heterogeneous memory channel including a first plurality of sockets coupled to a first memory channel bus of the printed circuit board, the first plurality of sockets to receive printed circuit boards of a first plurality of different types of memory modules;

a programmable heterogeneous memory controller coupled between the at least one processor and the first heterogeneous memory channel, the programmable heterogeneous memory controller configured to control access to the first plurality of different types of memory modules in the first heterogeneous memory channel; and

wherein just prior to accessing a first memory module the programmable heterogeneous memory controller flexibly adapts the first memory channel bus on the fly to control access to a first type of memory module in the first heterogeneous memory channel,

just prior to accessing a second memory module, the programmable heterogeneous memory controller flexibly adapts the first memory channel bus on the fly to control access to a second type of memory module in the first heterogeneous memory channel differing from the first type of memory module, and

just prior to accessing a third memory module, the programmable heterogeneous memory controller flexibly adapts the first memory channel bus on the fly to control access to a third type of memory module in the first heterogeneous memory channel differing from the second type of memory module.

28. The computer system of claim 27, wherein

the first memory module that is coupled to one socket in the first heterogeneous memory channel is a dynamic random access memory module, and

the second memory module that is coupled to another socket in the first heterogeneous memory channel is a non-volatile memory module;

and

the third memory module that is coupled to yet another socket in the first heterogeneous memory channel is a static random access memory module.

29. The computer system of claim 27, further comprising:

a first processor socket mounted to the printed circuit board and coupled between the at least one processor and the one or more of the plurality of traces of the printed circuit board; and

a second processor socket mounted to the printed circuit board and coupled to one or more of the plurality of traces of the printed circuit board;

the programmable heterogeneous memory controller is an integrated memory controller integrated with at least one processor on a silicon die, packaged into an integrated circuit package, and coupled into the second processor socket.

30. The computer system of claim 27, wherein

each of the first, second, and third types of memory modules has a memory module identification to indicate the type of memory module coupled into the plurality of sockets of the first heterogeneous memory channel.

31. The computer system of claim 27, wherein the memory channel bus includes

one or more point to point wires independently coupled between the memory controller and each respective socket of the plurality of sockets, and

a plurality of bus wires coupled to the memory controller and every socket of the plurality of sockets in the memory channel.

32. The computer system of claim 31, wherein

one of the one or more point to point wires is assigned to be a feedback control signal from each memory module to the memory controller.

33. The computer system of claim 27, wherein

the memory channel interface is adapted periodically on the fly by reassigning one or more wire interconnect to different logical functions.

34. The computer system of claim 33, wherein

the memory channel interface is further adapted periodically on the fly by flexible timing of the signals over the one or more interconnect.

35. The computer system of claim 33, wherein

the memory channel interface is further adapted periodically on the fly by generating and receiving different voltage levels for logic one and logic zero signals over the one or more interconnect.

36. The computer system of claim 33, wherein

the memory channel interface is further adapted periodically on the fly by altering pin type and directional signal flow over the one or more interconnect.

37. The computer system of claim 33, wherein

the one or more wire interconnects are address signals reassigned to be status signals.

38. The computer system of claim 27, wherein

the data bandwidth of each of the first memory module, the second memory module, and the third memory module differs.

39. The computer system of claim 27, further comprising:

a second heterogeneous memory channel including a second plurality of sockets coupled to a second memory channel bus of the printed circuit board, the second plurality of sockets to receive printed circuit boards of a second plurality of different types of memory modules; and

wherein the programmable heterogeneous memory controller is coupled between the at least one processor and the second heterogeneous memory channel, the programmable heterogeneous memory controller configured to control access to the second plurality of different types of memory modules in the second heterogeneous memory channel.

40. A main memory comprising:

a first plurality of memory module sockets to receive one or more first memory modules;

a memory controller having a first memory channel interface to couple to the first plurality of memory module sockets and the one or more first memory modules received therein;

a first memory channel bus coupled between the first memory channel interface of the memory controller and the first plurality of memory module sockets;

a first plurality of independent point to point feedback status signals coupled between the memory controller and each respective memory module socket, the one or more first memory modules configured to respectively couple to the first plurality of independent point to point feedback status signals; and

wherein each of the first plurality of independent point-to-point feedback status signals are communicated from each respective memory module to the memory controller to indicate to the memory controller a respective status of the respective memory module received in the respective memory module socket.

41. The main memory of claim 40, wherein

each of the first plurality of independent point-to-point feedback status signals indicates that the respective memory module is either busy and unable to process another memory access or alternatively ready to process a memory access.

42. The main memory of claim 40, wherein

at least one of the respective memory modules received by the first plurality of memory module sockets is a non-volatile memory module, and

the feedback status signal indicates the non-volatile memory module is busy and unable to process another memory access.

43. The main memory of claim 40, wherein

at least one of the respective memory modules received by the first plurality of memory module sockets is a non-volatile memory module, and

the feedback status signal indicates the non-volatile memory module is ready to process a memory access.