Multirank DDR memory modual with load reduction

• US 8,756,364 B1
• Filed: 11/01/2011
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Netlist, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Netlist, Inc.
• Inventors: Bhakta, Jayesh R., Solomon, Jeffrey C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bansal, Gurtej
• Application Number:
  US13/287,042
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 711/5, 711/147
• US Class Current: 711/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0207 with multidimensional access, e.g. row/column, matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0215 with look ahead addressing means
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2207/105 Aspects related to pads, pins or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/04 Supports for storage elements , e.g. memory modules; Mounting or fixing of storage elements on such supports
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/066 Means for reducing external access-lines for a semiconductor memory clip, e.g. by multiplexing at least address and data signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/1048 Data bus control circuits, e.g. precharging, presetting, equalising
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/12 Group selection circuits, e.g. for memory block selection, chip selection, array selection
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/181 associated with surface mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10159 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1572 Processing both sides of a PCB by the same process; Providing a similar arrangement of components on both sides; Making interlayer connections from two sides
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A circuit is configured to be mounted on a memory module connectable to a computer system so as to be electrically coupled to a plurality of memory devices on the memory module. The memory module has a first number of ranks of double-data-rate (DDR) memory devices activated at least in part to a first number of chip-select signals. The circuit is configurable to receive address signals and a second number of chip-select signals from the computer system. The circuit is further configurable to generate and transmit phase-locked clock signals to the first number of ranks, and to generate the first number of chip-select signals in response at least in part to the phase-locked clock signals, the address signals, and the second number of chip-select signals.

Claims

1. A memory module to be coupled to a memory controller via a plurality of signal lines, including input control signal lines, DQ data signal lines and DQS data strobe signal lines, the memory module comprising:

a first logic element to receive input control signals associated with a first memory command from the memory controller via the input control signal lines, and to generate output control signals in response to the input control signals;

memory devices organized in a number of ranks including a first rank receiving a first set of one or more of the output control signals and at least one second rank receiving at least one second set of one or more of the output control signals, wherein a first memory device in the first rank and at least one second memory device in the at least one second rank communicate with the memory controller via a common set of the DQ and DQS signal lines among the plurality of signal lines; and

a second logic element to selectively enable data communication between the first memory device and the memory controller via the common set of the DQ and DQS signal lines in response to the first memory command while isolating a load associated with the at least one second memory device from the common set of the DQ and DQS signal lines;

wherein the first logic element is configured to determine a latency value based on a previous memory command received by the memory module from the memory controller, and wherein the first logic element controls the second logic element to selectively enable the data communication according to the latency value.

2. The memory module of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first logic element and the second logic element are included in an integrated circuit.

3. The memory module of claim 1, wherein the first logic element and the second logic element are in separate respective integrated circuits.

4. The memory module of claim 1, wherein the first memory command is a read command or write command.

5. The memory module of claim 1, wherein the common set of the DQ and DQS signal lines carry DQ data signals and DQS data strobe signals between the memory controller and the memory module, and wherein the second logic element multiplexes the DQS strobe signals and adds propagation delays to the DQ data signals to match the DQS strobe signals.

6. The memory module of claim 1, wherein the at least one second memory device does not receive or output data in response to the first memory command.

7. The memory module of claim 1, wherein the first set of one or more of the output control signals include a first chip select signal and the second set of one or more of the output control signals include at least one second chip select signal, the first chip select signal and the at least one second chip select signals select the first rank to output or receive data and do not select the at least one second rank to output or receive data.

8. The memory module of claim 1, wherein the output control signals include a RAS signal, a CAS signal, and a WE signal, and wherein the first set of one or more of the output control signals include the RAS signal, the CAS signal, and the WE signal while the second set of one or more of the output control signals does not include any of the RAS signal, the CAS signal, and the WE signal.

9. The memory module of claim 1, wherein the output control signals include at least one address signal, and wherein the first set of one or more of the output control signals include the at least one address signal while the second set of one or more of the output control signals does not include the at least one address signal.

10. The memory module of claim 1, wherein the second logic element is coupled between memory devices including the first memory device and the at least one second memory device and the common set of the DQ and DQS signal lines.

11. The memory module of claim 1, wherein the previous memory command is a mode register command and wherein the first logic element is further configured to store information extracted from the mode register command and use the stored information to generate the output control signals.

12. The memory module of claim 1, wherein the second logic element responds to the first memory command by responding to a third set of one or more of the output control signals to selectively enable the data communication between the first memory device and the memory controller via the common set of the DQ and DQS signal lines while isolating the at least one second memory device from the common set of the DQ and DQS signal lines.

13. The memory module of claim 1, wherein the output control signals include a first number of chip select signals while the input control signals include a smaller number of chip select signals than the first number of chip select signals.

14. The memory module of claim 13, wherein the first logic element is further configured to store information associated with a second memory command and to use the information together with the input control signals to generate the first number of chip select signals, the second memory command preceding the first memory command.

15. The memory module of claim 13, wherein one of the first and second logic elements is further configured to store information associated with at least one of the input control signals during a row access procedure associated with the first memory command for use by the memory module to generate the first number of chip select signals during a column access procedure associated with the memory command.

16. The memory module of claim 15, wherein the at least one of the input control signals includes one or more of a row address signal and a bank address signal.

17. A method of operating a memory module coupled to a memory controller via a plurality of signal lines, including input control signal lines, DQ data signal lines and DQS data strobe signal lines, the method comprising:

receiving input control signals associated with a first memory command from the memory controller via the input control signal lines;

generating output control signals in response to the input control signals;

transmitting the output control signals to a plurality of memory devices, the plurality of memory devices being organized in a number of ranks including a first rank receiving a first set of one or more of the output control signals and at least one second rank receiving at least one second set of one or more of the output control signals, wherein a first memory device in the first rank and a second memory device in the at least one second rank communicate data with the memory controller via a common set of the DQ and DQS signal lines among the plurality of signal lines; and

selectively enabling data communication between the first memory device and the memory controller in response to the first memory command while isolating a load associated with the at least one second memory device from the common set of the DQ and DQS signal lines;

wherein the method further comprises determining a latency value based on a previous memory command received from the memory controller and controlling the selective enabling of the data communication in accordance with the latency value.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the common set of signal lines carry DQ data signals and DQS data strobe signals between the memory controller and the memory module, the method further comprising:

multiplexing the DQS strobe signals; and

adding propagation delays to the DQ data signals to match the DQS strobe signals.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the output control signals include a first number of chip select signals while the input control signals include a smaller number of chip select signals than the first number of chip select signals;

the method further comprising;

storing information associated with at least one of the input control signals during a row access procedure associated with the first memory command; and

using the stored information to generate the first number of chip select signals during a column access procedure associated with the first memory command.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the output control signals include a RAS signal, a CAS signal, and a WE signal, and wherein the first set of one or more of the output control signals include the RAS signal, the CAS signal, and the WE signal while the second set of one or more of the output control signals does not include any of the RAS signal, the CAS signal, and the WE signal.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the output control signals include at least one address signal, and wherein the first set of one or more of the output control signals include the at least one address signal while the second set of one or more of the output control signals does not include the at least one address signal.

22. The memory module of claim 17, wherein the previous memory command is a mode register command, wherein the method further comprises extracting information from the mode register command and storing the information, and wherein generating the output control signals comprises generating the output control signals using the stored information.

23. The memory module of claim 17, wherein the at least one second memory device does not receive or output data in response to the first memory command.

24. The memory module of claim 17, wherein selectively enabling data communication between the first memory device and the memory controller in response to the first memory command comprises selectively coupling the first memory device to the common set of DQ and DQS signal lines in response to the first memory command.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the output control signals include a first number of chip select signals while the input control signals include a smaller number of chip select signals than the first number of chip select signals;

the method further comprising;

storing information associated with a second memory command; and

using the information together with the input control signals to generate the first number of chip select signals, the second memory command preceding the first memory command.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first set of one or more of the output control signals include a first chip select signal that selects the first rank to output or receive data while the second set of one or more of the output control signals include at least one second chip select signal that does not select the at least one second rank to output or receive data.

27. A memory module to operate with a memory controller, comprising:

memory devices organized in a number of ranks, including a first rank of memory devices and a second rank of memory devices, the first rank of memory devices including a first memory device and the second rank of memory devices including a second memory device;

a first logic element to receive input memory commands, to generate output memory commands in response to the input memory commands, and transmit the output commands to the memory devices; and

a second logic element configured to be controlled by the first logic element so as to selectively enable data communication between the memory controller and one of the first and second memory devices according to a first one of the input memory commands while isolating a load associated with the other one of the first and second memory devices from the memory controller;

wherein the first logic element is configured to determine a latency value based on a previous memory command received by the memory module from the memory controller, and wherein the first logic element controls the second logic element to selectively enables the data communication according to the latency value.

28. The memory module of claim 27, wherein the first logic element and the second logic element are in separate respective integrated circuits.

29. The memory module of claim 27, wherein the second logic element is coupled between memory devices including the first memory device and the second memory device and the memory controller.

30. The memory module of claim 27, wherein the input memory command received prior to the first one of the input memory commands is a mode register command, and wherein the first logic element is further configured to store information extracted from the mode register command and use the stored information to generate one or more of the output commands.

31. The memory module of claim 27, wherein the first input command includes a first number of one or more chip select signals, and wherein the first logic element generates a first output command in response to the first input command, the first output command including a greater number of chip select signals than the first number of one or more chip select signals.

32. The memory module of claim 31, wherein the other one of the first and second memory devices does not receive or output data in response to the first one of the input memory commands.