MEMORY HUB WITH INTEGRATED NON-VOLATILE MEMORY

• US 20110258403A1
• Filed: 07/01/2011
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Original Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
• Inventors: Schnepper, Randy L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,832,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/1694 Configuration of memory controller to different memory types

Abstract

A method for initializing a memory sub-system is 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. The non-VOLATILE memory is accessed through a first configuration path from a memory controller of the memory sub-system to the non-VOLATILE memory.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A method of initializing a memory sub-system, comprising:

accessing a non-volatile memory that contains configuration information specific to the memory sub-system on which the non-volatile memory is located, the configuration information being stored in the non-volatile memory before initialization, the non-volatile memory accessed through a first configuration path from a memory controller of the memory sub-system to the non-volatile memory;

loading a configuration register of a memory controller with the configuration information from the non-volatile memory through a first configuration path;

receiving memory access requests from a host system; and

providing the host system access to the non-volatile memory through a second configuration path.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing the configuration information from the non-volatile memory to a register of the memory controller to which the non-volatile memory is coupled.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein providing the configuration information to the register of the memory controller comprises coupling the configuration information to a serial bus to which the memory controller is coupled.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein providing the configuration information to the register of the system memory controller comprises providing memory capacity, memory clock speed, or combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein accessing the non-volatile memory comprises accessing an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein accessing the non-volatile memory comprises accessing an embedded non-volatile memory.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein loading the configuration register with the configuration information comprises loading timing information, memory configuration data, memory type, manufacturer data, or combinations thereof.

15. A method of initializing a memory sub-system, comprising:

accessing a non-volatile memory that contains configuration information specific to the memory sub-system on which the non-volatile memory is located, the configuration information being stored in the non-volatile memory before initialization, the non-volatile memory accessed through a first configuration path from a memory controller of the memory sub-system to the non-volatile memory;

loading at least one configuration register of the memory controller with at least a portion of the configuration information through the first configuration path;

providing a host system access to the non-volatile memory through a second configuration path;

receiving, by the memory controller, at least one memory access request from the host system; and

accessing, by the memory controller in response to the at least one memory access request and in accordance with the at least a portion of the configuration information, at least a portion of memory of the memory sub-system.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing the configuration information from the non-volatile memory to a register of the memory controller to which the non-volatile memory is coupled.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein providing the configuration information to the register of the memory controller comprises coupling the configuration information to a serial bus to which the memory controller is coupled.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein providing the configuration information to the register of the system memory controller comprises providing memory capacity, memory clock speed, or combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein accessing the non-volatile memory comprises accessing an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein accessing the non-volatile memory comprises accessing an embedded non-volatile memory.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein loading the configuration register with the configuration information comprises loading timing information, memory configuration data, memory type, manufacturer data, or combinations thereof.