Apparatus and method for producing device identifiers for serially interconnected devices of mixed type

• US 8,694,692 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2012
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NovaChips Canada Inc. (NovaChips Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Mosaid Technologies Incorporated (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Inventors: Pyeon, Hong Beom, Oh, HakJune, Kim, Jin-Ki, Sumi, Shuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Rhu, Kris
• Application Number:
  US13/671,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20130067118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4243 with synchronous protocol

Abstract

A plurality of memory devices of mixed type (e.g., DRAMs, SRAMs, MRAMs, and NAND-, NOR- and AND-type Flash memories) are serially interconnected. Each device has device type information on its device type. A specific device type (DT) and a device identifier (ID) contained in a serial input (SI) as a packet are fed to one device of the serial interconnection. The device determines whether the fed DT matches the DT of the device. In a case of match, a calculator included in the device performs calculation to generate an ID accompanying the fed DT for another device and the fed ID is latched in a register of the device. In a case of no-match, the ID generation is skipped and no ID is generated for another device. The DT is combined with the generated or the received ID depending on the device type match determination. The combined DT and ID is as a packet transferred to a next device. Such a device type match determination and ID generation or skip are performed in all devices of the serial interconnection. With reference to device type provided to the interconnected devices, IDs are sequentially generated. The SI containing the DT, the ID and an ID generation command is transmitted in a packet basis to a next device.

Claims

1. A method for producing a device identifier (ID) by a semiconductor memory device having device type information (DTI), comprising:

at the semiconductor memory device,

receiving a device type (DT) accompanied by an ID;

comparing the DTI of the device to the received DT to provide a comparison result;

outputting an output ID in accordance with the comparison result; and

providing the output ID accompanying the received DT to another semiconductor memory device, the semiconductor memory devices being interconnected to each other.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting comprises:

performing a calculation based on the received ID to provide an altered ID.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the outputting further comprises:

selecting one of the altered ID and a non-altered ID in response to the determination result, the non-altered ID being the received ID, thereby outputting a selected ID as the output ID.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the providing comprises:

combining the selected ID and the received DT, the combined ID and DT being provided to the other semiconductor memory device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

sending the combined ID and DT in a packet.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the receiving comprises:

receiving the DT and the input ID in a packet.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the combining comprises combining an ID production command, the selected ID and the received DT;

the sending comprises sending the combined command, DT and ID in a packet; and

the receiving comprises receiving an ID production command, the DT and the input ID in a packet.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the performing comprises:

adding a pre-determined value to the received ID to provide the altered ID.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the performing comprises:

subtracting a pre-determined value from the received ID to provide the altered ID.

10. An apparatus for use in a semiconductor memory device having device type information (DTI), comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a device type (DT) accompanied by a device identifier (ID);

a comparator configured to compare the DTI of the device to the received DT to provide a comparison result;

an ID provider configured to output an ID in accordance with the comparison result; and

an output provider for providing the outputted ID accompanying the received DT to another semiconductor memory device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a device type provider configured to provide the DTI associated with the semiconductor memory device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the ID provider comprises:

an arithmetic operator configured to perform a calculation or non-calculation of the received ID with a pre-defined value to provide a calculated ID or a non-calculated ID as the outputted ID.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the comparator comprises:

a DT match detector configured to detect a match between the received DT and the provided DTI, thereby providing a match determination result when there is a match therebetween,

the calculated ID being selected as the outputted ID in response to the match determination result,

the non-calculated ID being selected as the outputted ID in response to a no-match determination result.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the arithmetic operator comprises:

a calculator configured to calculate the received ID with the pre-defined value.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the calculator comprises:

an adder configured to add one to the received ID.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the calculator comprises:

a subtractor configured to subtract one from the received ID.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the output provider comprises:

an ID-device type provider configured to output the outputted ID accompanying the received DT to another semiconductor memory device, the semiconductor memory device and the other semiconductor memory device being interconnected to each other.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein:

the outputted ID and the DT are provided in a parallel manner; and

the output provider comprises first and second holders,

the first holder registering the parallel ID and outputting the ID in serial manner,

the second holder registering the parallel DT and outputting the DT in a serial manner.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the output provider further comprises:

a serial data combiner configured to combine the serial ID and DT to provide a combined serial ID and DT as the ID accompanying the received DT.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

the semiconductor memory device is one of a plurality of semiconductor memory devices of mixed type, the semiconductor memory devices being serially interconnected.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the serial data combiner comprises:

a data processor configured to combine an ID production command, the DT and the ID in a packet, the packet being sent to the other semiconductor memory device.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the receiver comprises:

a packet receiver configured to receive an ID production command, the DT and the input ID in a packet.