Translating an address associated with a command communicated between a system and memory circuits
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- an interface circuit electrically connected to a first number of physical dynamic random access memory (“
DRAM”
) devices via multiple data paths including a first data path and a distinct second data path, wherein each of the physical DRAM devices is an individual and independent monolithic device, the interface circuit configured to;
communicate with the first number of physical DRAM devices and a memory controller,interface the first number of physical DRAM devices to simulate a different, second number of virtual DRAM devices as presented to the memory controller, each of the virtual DRAM devices being simulated as an individual and independent monolithic device,simulate a first virtual DRAM device using a first physical DRAM device on the first data path and a second physical DRAM device on the distinct second data path,use both a physical row of the first physical DRAM device and a physical row of the second physical DRAM device to simulate a virtual row of the first virtual DRAM device,receive a row-access command from the memory controller, directed to the first virtual DRAM device, for the virtual row of the first virtual DRAM device,based on the received row-access command, translate the received row-access command for the virtual row to a first row access command for the physical row of the first physical DRAM device and a second row access command for the physical row of the second physical DRAM device, andissue the first row access command and the second row access command to activate the physical row of the first physical DRAM device and the physical row of the second physical DRAM device, respectively, before a subsequent column-access command is received from the memory controller to access a part of the simulated row that corresponds to the physical row of the first physical DRAM device or the physical row of the second physical DRAM device.
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Abstract
A memory circuit system and method are provided. An interface circuit is capable of communication with a plurality of memory circuits and a system. In use, the interface circuit is operable to translate an address associated with a command communicated between the system and the memory circuits.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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an interface circuit electrically connected to a first number of physical dynamic random access memory (“
DRAM”
) devices via multiple data paths including a first data path and a distinct second data path, wherein each of the physical DRAM devices is an individual and independent monolithic device, the interface circuit configured to;communicate with the first number of physical DRAM devices and a memory controller, interface the first number of physical DRAM devices to simulate a different, second number of virtual DRAM devices as presented to the memory controller, each of the virtual DRAM devices being simulated as an individual and independent monolithic device, simulate a first virtual DRAM device using a first physical DRAM device on the first data path and a second physical DRAM device on the distinct second data path, use both a physical row of the first physical DRAM device and a physical row of the second physical DRAM device to simulate a virtual row of the first virtual DRAM device, receive a row-access command from the memory controller, directed to the first virtual DRAM device, for the virtual row of the first virtual DRAM device, based on the received row-access command, translate the received row-access command for the virtual row to a first row access command for the physical row of the first physical DRAM device and a second row access command for the physical row of the second physical DRAM device, and issue the first row access command and the second row access command to activate the physical row of the first physical DRAM device and the physical row of the second physical DRAM device, respectively, before a subsequent column-access command is received from the memory controller to access a part of the simulated row that corresponds to the physical row of the first physical DRAM device or the physical row of the second physical DRAM device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system comprising:
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a first number of physical dynamic random access memory (“
DRAM”
) devices;an interface circuit electrically connected to the first number of physical DRAM devices via multiple data paths including a first data path and a distinct second data path, wherein each of the physical DRAM devices is an individual and independent monolithic device, the interface circuit configured to; communicate with the first number of physical DRAM devices and a memory controller, interface the first number of physical DRAM devices to simulate a different, second number of virtual DRAM devices as presented to the memory controller, each of the virtual DRAM devices being simulated as an individual and independent monolithic device, simulate a first virtual DRAM device using a first physical DRAM device on the first data path and a second physical DRAM device on the distinct second data path, use both a physical row of the first physical DRAM device and a physical row of the second physical DRAM device to simulate a virtual row of the first virtual DRAM device, receive a row-access command from the memory controller, directed to the first virtual DRAM device, for the virtual row of the first virtual DRAM device, based on the received row-access command, translate the received row-access command for the virtual row to a first row access command for the physical row of the first physical DRAM device and a second row access command for the physical row of the second physical DRAM device, and issue the first row access command and the second row access command to activate the physical row of the first physical DRAM device and the physical row of the second physical DRAM device, respectively, before a subsequent column-access command is received from the memory controller to access a part of the simulated row that corresponds to the physical row of the first physical DRAM device or the physical row of the second physical DRAM device. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method, comprising:
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communicating with a first number of physical dynamic random access memory (“
DRAM”
) devices and a memory controller, wherein each of the physical DRAM devices is an individual and independent monolithic device;interfacing the first number of physical DRAM devices via multiple data paths including a first data path and a distinct second data path to simulate a different, second number of virtual DRAM devices as presented to the memory controller, wherein each of the virtual DRAM devices is an individual and independent monolithic device; simulating a first virtual DRAM device using a first physical DRAM device on the first data path and a second physical DRAM device on the distinct second data path; using both a physical row of the first physical DRAM device and a physical row of the second physical DRAM device to simulate a virtual row of the first virtual DRAM device; receiving a row-access command from the memory controller, directed to the first virtual DRAM device, for the virtual row of the first virtual DRAM device; based on the received row-access command, translating the received row-access command for the virtual row to a first row access command for the physical row of the first physical DRAM device and a second row access command for the physical row of the second physical DRAM device; and issuing the first row access command and the second row access command to activate the physical row of the first physical DRAM device and the physical row of the second physical DRAM device, respectively, before a subsequent column-access command is received from the memory controller to access a part of the simulated row that corresponds to the physical row of the first physical DRAM device or the physical row of the second physical DRAM device. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification