Memory health status reporting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11775378-B2
Application number	US-202017118455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2020
Priority date	Dec 16, 2019
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for memory health status reporting are described. A memory device may output to a host device a parameter value, which may be indicative of metric or condition related to the performance or reliability (e.g., a health status) of the memory device of the memory device. The host device may thereby determine that the memory device is degraded, possibly prior to device or system failure. Based on the parameter value, the host device may take preventative action, such as quarantining the memory device, deactivating the memory device, or swapping the memory device for another memory device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a host device; and
a memory device coupled with the host device, wherein the memory device is operable to:
exchange data with the host device;
determine, after exchanging data with the host device, a value of a parameter that indicates a health status associated with operability of the memory device;

transmit, via a via a Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) interface of the memory device, an indication of the value of the parameter to a device that is different than the host device and external to the memory device, wherein the host device is operable to alter a configuration of the system based at least in part on the health status associated with operability of the memory device, and wherein the device comprises a controller that is coupled with the memory device via the JTAG interface of the memory device and is coupled with the host device via a second interface, and wherein the controller is operable to:
receive the indication of the value of the parameter via the JTAG interface; and
transmit, in response to receiving the indication, a second indication of the value of the parameter to the host device via the second interface;

receive, from the host device in response to the indication of the value of the parameter, an indication of an adjustment for a second parameter for the memory device;
adjust a value of the second parameter based at least in part on the indication of the adjustment; and
operate based at least in part on the adjusted value of the second parameter.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the host device is operable to:
deactivate the memory device based at least in part on the value of the parameter.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second memory device, wherein based at least in part on the value of the parameter, the host device is operable to discontinue communications with the memory device while maintaining communications with the second memory device.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second memory device, wherein based at least in part on the value of the parameter, the host device is operable to:
read data from the memory device; and
write the data to the second memory device.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second memory device, wherein based at least in part on the value of the parameter, the host device is operable to initiate communications with the second memory device.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the parameter comprises a voltage at the memory device, a status of a phase-locked loop (PLL) within the memory device, a temperature of the memory device, a status of a fuse within the memory device, a count of error correction procedures performed by the memory device, or an operability status of the memory device.

7. A method, comprising:
receiving, from a memory device, an indication of a value of a parameter for the memory device;
determining, based at least in part on the value of the parameter, a health status associated with operability of the memory device;
transmitting, to the memory device in response to the indication of the value of the parameter, an indication of an adjustment for a second parameter for the memory device, wherein the indication of the adjustment for the second parameter corresponds to an adjusted value of the second parameter for subsequent operations by the memory device; and
altering a configuration of a system that includes the memory device and one or more other memory devices based at least in part on the health status associated with operability of the memory device.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
transmitting requests for values of the parameter in accordance with a schedule, wherein the indication of the value of the parameter is received based at least in part on a request transmitted in accordance with the schedule.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving, from the memory device, a signal configured to trigger a request for the value of the parameter; and
transmitting the request for the value of the parameter in response to the signal, wherein the indication of the value of the parameter is received based at least in part on the request.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the signal configured to trigger the request is received via an Error Detection Code (EDC) pin; or
the signal configured to trigger the request is received via an interrupt pin.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
comparing the value of the parameter to a threshold, wherein determining the health status of the memory device is based at least in part on the comparing.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the indication is received via a Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) interface; or
the indication is received via a data (DQ) bus.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the parameter comprises an operability status of the memory device; and
determining the health status of the memory device comprises determining that the memory device is inoperable.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the parameter comprises a voltage internal to the memory device; and
determining the health status of the memory device comprises determining that the voltage is outside of a range.

15. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the parameter comprises a status of a phase lock loop (PLL) internal to the memory device; and
determining the health status of the memory device comprises determining that the PLL is out of lock.

16. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the parameter comprises a temperature of the memory device; and
determining the health status of the memory device comprises determining that the temperature is outside of a range.

17. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the parameter comprises a status of a fuse internal to the memory device; and
determining the health status of the memory device comprises determining that the fuse is blown.

18. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the parameter comprises a rate of error corrections performed by the memory device; and
determining the health status of the memory device comprises determining that the rate of error corrections exceeds a threshold.

19. A method, comprising:
determining a value of a parameter indicative of a health status associated with operability of a memory device;
receiving, from a host device, a request for the value of the parameter indicative of the health status associated with operability of the memory device; transmitting, via a Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) interface of the memory device based at least in part on receiving the request, an indication of the value of the parameter to a device that is external to the memory device, wherein the memory device is coupled with the device via the JTAG interface and the memory device is coupled with the host device via a second interface different than the JTAG interface;
receiving, from the host device in response to the indication of the value of the parameter, an indication of an adjustment for a second parameter for the memory device;
adjusting a value of the second parameter based at least in part on the indication of the adjustment; and
operating based at least in part on the adjusted value of the second parameter.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
determining that the value of the parameter satisfies a threshold; and
transmitting, to the device, a signal configured to trigger the request for the value of the parameter, wherein transmitting the signal is base

Assignees

• Micron Technology Inc

Inventors

• Balb Markus
• Hein Thomas
• Hoenigschmid Heinz

Classifications

• G06F11/0793 Primary

  Remedial or corrective actions (recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40) · CPC title

• G01R31/3177

  Testing of logic operation, e.g. by logic analysers · CPC title

• G06F3/0619

  in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors · CPC title

• G06F3/0653

  Monitoring storage devices or systems · CPC title

• G06F3/0659

  Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling · CPC title