Encoded chip select for supporting more memory ranks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9104557-B2
Application number	US-18443008-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2008
Priority date	Aug 1, 2008
Publication date	Aug 11, 2015
Grant date	Aug 11, 2015

Abstract

Method and systems are disclosed for increasing the number of ranks supported in a memory system. In one embodiment, a plurality of predefined subsets of memory chips on a memory module is selected. A chip select signal uniquely identifying the selected subset of memory chips is generated. The chip select signal is encoded as a multi-bit word having a bit width that is less than the number of predefined subsets of memory chips. Each bit of the encoded chip select signal is transmitted along a separate chip select line. The transmitted chip select signal is decoded to determine the identity of the selected subset of memory chips. The selected subset of memory chips identified by the decoded chip select signal are read or written.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
selecting one of a plurality of ranks, each rank uniquely associated with a different subset of memory chips on a memory module;
generating a chip select signal uniquely identifying the selected rank;
encoding the chip select signal as a multi-bit word having fewer bits than the number of ranks;
transmitting each bit of the multi-bit word along a separate chip select line to the memory module; and
receiving and decoding the tran…

Assignees

• Hinkle Jonathan Randall
• Bandholz Justin Potok
• Lenovo Entpr Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Hinkle Jonathan Randall
• Bandholz Justin Potok

Classifications

• G06F12/06 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F12/0607

  Physics · mapped topic