摘要:
An analog reading circuit having a current mirror circuit forcing two identical currents into a cell to be read and into a reference cell. An operational amplifier has an inverting input connected to the drain terminal of the cell to be read, a non-inverting input connected to the drain terminal of the reference cell, and an output connected to the gate terminal of the reference cell. The reference cell therefore forms part of a negative feedback loop which maintains the overdrive voltages of the cell to be read and the reference cell constant, irrespective of temperature variations. The reading circuit is also of high precision and has a high reading speed.
摘要:
A reading circuit comprises a current mirror circuit connected, at a first and a second output node, to the drain terminals of an array cell and of a reference cell; a comparator whose inputs are connected to the output nodes of the current mirror circuit; a ramp generator having an enabling input connected to the output of the comparator and an output connected to the control terminal of the reference cell. Biasing the gate terminal of the array cell to a constant voltage, when the currents flowing in the array cell and in the reference cell are equal, the value assumed by the ramp voltage is proportional to the threshold value of the array cell; at that time the comparator is triggered and discontinues the ramp increase, supplying as output the desired threshold value.
摘要:
A device for analog programming is disclosed. The device comprises a current mirror circuit connected to drain terminals of a cell to be programmed and of a MOS reference transistor. An operational amplifier has inputs connected to the drain terminals of the cell and respectively of the MOS transistor and an output connected to the control terminal of the MOS transistor. During programming, the control and drain terminals of the cell are biased at corresponding programming voltages and the output voltage of the operational amplifier, which is correlated to the current threshold voltage level of the cell, is monitored and the programming is interrupted when this output voltage becomes at least equal to a reference voltage correlated to the threshold value desired for the cell.
摘要:
For each memory cell to be programmed, the present threshold value of the cell is determined; the desired threshold value is acquired; the analog distance between the present threshold value and the desired threshold value is calculated; and a programming pulse is then generated, the duration of which is proportional to the analog distance calculated. The programming and reading cycle is repeated until the desired threshold is reached. By this means a time saving is obtained, owing to the reduction of the number of intermediate reading steps. The method permits programming in parallel and simultaneously of a plurality of cells of a memory array which is connected to a single word line and to different bit lines, each with a programming pulse the duration of which is proportional to the analog distance calculated for the same cell. The programming process is thus very fast, owing to parallel application of the programming and the saving in the intermediate reading cycles.
摘要:
A method for restoring the charge lost from memory cells, such as to restore the original voltage levels, within a time equivalent to the retention time. The condition of the memory cell is determined, for example, when the memory is switched on, or based on the time elapsed since the previous programming/restoration, or based on the difference between the present threshold voltage of the reference cells and the original threshold voltage of the (suitably stored) reference cells, or when predetermined operating conditions occur. This makes it possible to prolong the life of nonvolatile memories, in particular of multilevel type, wherein the retention time decreases as the number of levels (bits/cell) is increased.
摘要:
A FLASH memory is organized in a plurality of physical sectors which may be split into a plurality of singularly addressable logic sectors. Each logic sector may include a memory space of a predetermined size and a chain pointer assuming a neutral value or a value pointing to a second logic sector associated with a respective chain pointer at the neutral value. Each logic sector may also include a status indicator assuming at least one of a first value if the logic sector is empty, a second value if the data therein belongs to the logic sector, a third value if the data does not belong to the logic sector, and a fourth value if the data has been erased. Further, each logic sector may include a remap pointer assuming the neutral value or a value pointing directly or indirectly to the chain pointer of a third logic sector.
摘要:
An application-specific embeddable flash memory having three content-specific I/O ports and delivering a peak read throughput of 1.2 GB/s. The memory is combined with a special automatic programming gate voltage ramp generator circuit having a programming rate of 1 Mbyte/s for non-volatile storage of code, data, and embedded FPGA bit stream configurations. The test chip uses a NOR-type 0.18 μm flash embedded technology with 1.8V power supply, two poly, six metal and memory cell size of 0.35 μm2.
摘要:
It is described a programming method for a multilevel memory cell able to store a plurality of bits in a plurality of levels. The method comprises the phases of: initially programming a cell threshold value to a first set of levels [0;(m−1)] being m a submultiple of the plurality of levels of the multilevel cell; reprogramming without erasing another set of levels [m;(2m−1)] containing the same number m of levels as the first set; reiterating the reprogramming without erasing phase until the levels of the multilevel cell are exhausted. It is also described a multilevel memory device of the type comprising a plurality of multilevel memory cells organized into sectors, the sectors being themselves split into a plurality of data units wherein a data updating operation is performed in parallel, the data units being programmed by means of the programming method.
摘要:
A method for controlled soft programming of a plurality of non-volatile memory cells, having bulk terminals connected to one another and to a common bulk line. The method includes supplying at least one soft programming pulse to the plurality of memory cells for a time interval. In this step, a bulk voltage with a rising negative ramp is applied to the common bulk line for the time interval. By this means, the threshold voltage of the cells is increased by body effect, and initially only the most depleted cells are soft programmed, with a limited drain current. Subsequently, when the bulk voltage increases, the cells with a higher threshold voltage are also soft programmed, until all the cells have reached the required minimum threshold value.
摘要:
A dynamically reconfigurable processing unit includes a microprocessor, and an embedded Flash memory for non-volatile storage of code, data and bit-streams. The embedded Flash includes a field programmable gate array (FPGA) port. The reconfigurable processing unit further includes a direct memory access (DMA) channel, and an S-RAM embedded FPGA for FPGA reconfigurations. The S-RAM embedded FPGA has an FPGA programming interface connected to the FPGA port of the Flash memory through the DMA channel. The microprocessor, the embedded Flash memory, the DMA channel and the S-RAM embedded FPGA are integrated as a single chip.