Techniques to access or operate a dual in-line memory module via multiple data channels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10146711-B2
Application number	US-201615196014-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2016
Priority date	Jan 11, 2016
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

Examples include techniques to access or operate a dual in-line memory module (DIMM) via one or multiple data channels. In some examples, memory devices at or on the DIMM may be accessed via one or more data channels. The one or more data channels arranged such that the DIMM is configured to operate in a dual channel mode that includes two data channels or to operate in a single channel mode that includes a single data channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
an interface; and
a memory controller that includes logic, at least a portion of which comprises hardware, the logic to:
receive a request to access one or more memory devices maintained at a dual in-line memory module (DIMM);
send, responsive to the request, a first packetized control address command (CAC) to access the one or more memory devices through the interface via a first data channel from among a plurality of data channels coupled with the DIMM, the first packetized CAC sent via use of a first clock signal at high and low portions of the first clock signal; and
access the one or more memory devices via the first data channel to fulfill the request.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising the logic to send the first packetized CAC to a multi-port register maintained at the DIMM, the multi-port register to cause the first packetized CAC to be routed to the one or more memory devices through a first command bus to enable access to the one or more memory devices via the first data channel.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first command bus couples with 12 command address pins at the DIMM.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , comprising the one or more memory devices to include volatile memory, the one or more memory devices maintained on a first side of the DIMM, a second side of the DIMM to maintain a plurality of memory devices including non-volatile memory, and the plurality of memory devices accessible via a second data channel from among the plurality of data channels coupled with the DIMM.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising the logic to:
receive a second request to access the plurality of memory devices maintained at the DIMM;
send, responsive to the second request, a second packetized CAC to the multi-port register through the interface to cause the second packetized CAC to be routed to the plurality of memory devices through a second command bus to enable access to the plurality of memory devices via the second data channel, the second packetized CAC sent via use of a second clock signal at high and low portions of the second clock signal; and
access the plurality of memory devices via the second data channel to fulfill the second request.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising the one or more memory devices including non-volatile memory or volatile memory.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , the volatile memory comprising dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , the non-volatile memory comprising 3-dimensional cross-point memory, memory that uses chalcogenide phase change material, flash memory, ferroelectric memory, silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) memory, polymer memory, ferroelectric polymer memory, ferroelectric transistor random access memory (FeTRAM or FeRAM), ovonic memory, nanowire, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), phase change memory, memristors or spin transfer torque-magnetoresistive random access memory (STT-MRAM).

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first packetized CAC to access the one or more memory devices via the first data channel is associated with a burst length of 16 bytes.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , the DIMM comprises a registered DIMM (RDIMM), a load reduced DIMM (LRDIMM), a fully-buffered DIMM (FB-DIMM), an unbuffered DIMM (UDIMM) or a small outline DIMM (SODIMM).

11. A method comprising:
receiving, at a processor circuit, a request to access one or more memory devices maintained at a dual in-line memory module (DIMM);
sending, responsive to the request, a first packetized control address command (CAC) to access the one or more memory devices via a first data channel from among a plurality of data channels coupled with the DIMM, the first packetized CAC sent via use of a first clock signal at high and low portions of the first clock signal; and
accessing the one or more memory devices via the first data channel to fulfill the request.

12. The method of claim 11 , sending the first packetized CAC to a multi-port register maintained at the DIMM, the multi-port register to cause the first packetized CAC to be routed to the one or more memory devices through a first command bus to enable access to the one or more memory devices via the first data channel.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first command bus couples with 12 command address pins at the DIMM.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first packetized CAC to access the one or more memory devices via the first data channel is associated with a burst length of 16 bytes.

15. A system comprising:
at least one processor for a computing device to execute one or more applications; and
a memory controller coupled with the at least one processor, the memory controller including logic, at least a portion of which is implemented in hardware, the logic to:
receive a request from an application from among the one or more applications to access one or more memory devices maintained at a dual in-line memory module (DIMM);
send, responsive to the request, a first packetized control address command (CAC) to access the one or more memory devices via a first data channel from among a plurality of data channels coupled with the DIMM, the first packetized CAC sent via use of a first clock signal at high and low portions of the first clock signal; and
access the one or more memory devices via the first data channel to fulfill the request.

16. The system of claim 15 , comprising the logic to send the first packetized CAC to a multi-port register maintained at the DIMM, the multi-port register to cause the first packetized CAC to be routed to the one or more memory devices through a first command bus to enable access to the one or more memory devices via the first data channel.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the the first command bus couples with 12 command address pins at the DIMM.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first packetized CAC to access the one or more memory devices via the first data channel is associated with a burst length of 16 bytes.

19. The system of claim 15 , further comprising one or more of:
a network interface communicatively coupled to the at least one processor;
a display communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; or
a battery communicatively coupled to the at least one processor.

20. An apparatus comprising:
a dual in-line memory module (DIMM) including a first plurality of memory devices on a first side and a second plurality of memory devices on a second side;
a first command bus to route first packetized control address commands (CACs) to the first plurality of memory devices to access the first plurality of memory devices via a first data channel, the first packetized CACs received via use of a first clock signal at high and low portions of the first clock signal;
a second command bus to route second packetized CACs to the second plurality of memory devices to access the second plurality of memory devices via a second data channel, the second packetized CACs received via use of a second clock signal at high and low portions of the second clock signal; and
a multi-port register to receive first and second packetized CACs and cause the received first and second packetized CACs to be routed to the first or second plurality of memory devices through respective first and second command buses to provide access to the first or second plurality of memory devices via respective first and second data channels based on the respectively rec

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Nale Bill
• Bains Kuljit S
• Vergis George
• Cox Christopher E
• Mccall James A
• Zhao Chong J
• Sah Suneeta
• Vogt Pete D
• Goles John R

Classifications

• G11C14/0009

  in which the volatile element is a DRAM cell · CPC title

• G11C11/4096

  Input/output [I/O] data management or control circuits, e.g. reading or writing circuits, I/O drivers or bit-line switches · CPC title

• G11C7/1045

  Read-write mode select circuits · CPC title

• G11C7/10

  Input/output [I/O] data interface arrangements, e.g. I/O data control circuits, I/O data buffers · CPC title

• G11C5/04

  Supports for storage elements {, e.g. memory modules}; Mounting or fixing of storage elements on such supports · CPC title