Memory command delay balancing in a daisy-chained memory topology
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- linking a plurality of memory modules in a daisy-chained configuration, wherein each of said plurality of memory modules contains a corresponding plurality of memory elements;
receiving a command at one of said plurality of memory modules;
propagating said command to one or more memory modules in said daisy-chained configuration; and
configuring at least one of said plurality of memory modules to delay transmission of said command received thereat to one or more memory elements contained therein until a respective first predetermined delay has elapsed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A methodology for a daisy-chained memory topology wherein, in addition to the prediction of the timing of receipt of a response from a memory module (DIMM), the memory controller can effectively predict when a command sent by it will be executed by the addressee DIMM. By programming DIMM-specific command delay in the DIMM'"'"'s command delay unit, the command delay balancing methodology according to the present disclosure “normalizes” or “synchronizes” the execution of the command signal across all DIMMs in the memory channel. With such ability to predict command execution timing, the memory controller can efficiently control power profile of all the DRAM devices (or memory modules) on a daisy-chained memory channel. A separate DIMM-specific response delay unit in the DIMM may also be programmed to provide DIMM-specific delay compensation in the response path, further allowing the memory controller to accurately ascertain the timing of receipt of a response thereat, and, hence, to better manage further processing of the response.
201 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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linking a plurality of memory modules in a daisy-chained configuration, wherein each of said plurality of memory modules contains a corresponding plurality of memory elements;
receiving a command at one of said plurality of memory modules;
propagating said command to one or more memory modules in said daisy-chained configuration; and
configuring at least one of said plurality of memory modules to delay transmission of said command received thereat to one or more memory elements contained therein until a respective first predetermined delay has elapsed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method, comprising:
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linking a plurality of electronic devices in a daisy-chained configuration;
receiving a command at a first electronic device in said plurality of electronic devices;
propagating said command to the remaining electronic devices in said daisy-chained configuration; and
configuring each electronic device in said plurality of electronic devices to delay executing said command to generate a corresponding response thereto until a respective first predetermined delay has elapsed. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A combination, comprising:
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a memory controller configured to generate and transmit a command; and
a plurality of memory modules connected to one another in a serial configuration, wherein only one of said plurality of memory modules is connected to said memory controller and wherein each memory module contains a corresponding plurality of memory elements, wherein the memory module connected to said memory controller is configured to receive said command from said memory controller and to propagate said command to other memory modules in said serial configuration, wherein at least one of said plurality of memory modules is configured to delay transmission of said command received thereat to one or more memory elements contained therein until a respective first predetermined delay has elapsed. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A system, comprising:
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a processor;
a bus;
a controller connected to said processor via said bus, wherein said controller is configured to generate and transmit a command; and
a plurality of electronic devices connected to one another in a daisy-chained configuration, wherein only one of said plurality of electronic devices is connected to said controller and wherein each of said plurality of electronic devices communicates to said controller using a signal transfer mechanism for said daisy-chained configuration, wherein the electronic device connected to said controller is configured to receive said command from said controller and to propagate said command to other electronic devices in said daisy-chained configuration, wherein each electronic device in said plurality of electronic devices is configured to delay executing said command to generate a corresponding response thereto until a respective first predetermined delay has elapsed. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification