公开(公告)号：US20200294557A1

公开(公告)日：2020-09-17

申请号：US16828591

申请日：2020-03-24

Applicant: Rambus Inc.

Inventor： Frederick A. Ware ,  John Eric Linstadt ,  Carl W. Werner

IPC: G11C7/04 ,  G06F1/12 ,  G11C7/22 ,  G11C29/02 ,  G11C29/50 ,  H03K5/15 ,  H01L39/22

Abstract: In a chip-to-chip signaling system includes at least one signaling link coupled between first and second ICs, the first IC has an interface coupled to the signaling link and timed by a first interface timing signal. The second IC has an interface coupled to the signaling link and timed by a second interface timing signal that is mesochronous with respect to the first interface timing signal. The second IC further has phase adjustment circuitry that adjusts a phase of the second interface timing signal using a digital counter implemented with Josephson-junction circuit elements.

公开(公告)号：US20200279599A1

公开(公告)日：2020-09-03

申请号：US16799491

申请日：2020-02-24

Applicant: Rambus Inc.

Inventor： Frederick A. Ware ,  Richard E. Perego

IPC: G11C11/406 ,  G06F12/00 ,  G06F13/16

Abstract: Described are dynamic memory systems that perform overlapping refresh and data access (read or write) transactions that minimize the impact of the refresh transaction on memory performance. The memory systems support independent and simultaneous activate and precharge operations directed to different banks. Two sets of address registers enable the system to simultaneously specify different banks for refresh and data-access transactions.

公开(公告)号：US10755764B2

公开(公告)日：2020-08-25

申请号：US16418316

申请日：2019-05-21

Applicant: Rambus Inc.

Inventor： Frederick A. Ware

IPC: G11C7/22 ,  G11C7/10 ,  G11C11/4076 ,  G06F13/16 ,  G06F13/42 ,  G11C8/18 ,  G06F1/10 ,  G11C11/409

Abstract: A clock signal is transmitted to first and second integrated circuit (IC) components via a clock signal line, the clock signal having a first arrival time at the first IC component and a second, later arrival time at the second IC component. A write command is transmitted to the first and second IC components to be sampled by those components at respective times corresponding to transitions of the clock signal, and write data is transmitted to the first and second IC components in association with the write command. First and second strobe signals are transmitted to the first and second IC components, respectively, to time reception of the first and second write data in those components. The first and second strobe signals are selected from a plurality of phase-offset timing signals to compensate for respective timing skews between the clock signal and the first and second strobe signals.

公开(公告)号：US20200264782A1

公开(公告)日：2020-08-20

申请号：US16805535

申请日：2020-02-28

Applicant: Rambus Inc.

Inventor： Frederick A. Ware ,  Ely Tsern

IPC: G06F3/06 ,  G11C7/10 ,  G11C5/04 ,  G06F12/06

Abstract: Memory modules, systems, memory controllers and associated methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a memory module includes a module substrate having first and second memory devices. Buffer circuitry disposed on the substrate couples to the first and second memory devices via respective first and second secondary interfaces. The buffer circuitry includes a primary signaling interface for coupling to a group of signaling links associated with a memory controller. The primary signaling interface operates at a primary signaling rate and the first and second secondary data interfaces operate at a secondary signaling rate. During a first mode of operation, the primary interface signaling rate is at least twice the secondary signaling rate. A first time interval associated with a transfer of first column data via the first secondary interface temporally overlaps a second time interval involving second column data transferred via the second secondary interface.

公开(公告)号：US10739841B2

公开(公告)日：2020-08-11

申请号：US16272346

申请日：2019-02-11

Applicant: Rambus Inc.

Inventor： Frederick A. Ware

IPC: G06F1/32 ,  G06F13/16 ,  G06F1/3287 ,  G06F1/3234 ,  G06F1/3293

Abstract: Bandwidth for information transfers between devices is dynamically changed to accommodate transitions between power modes employed in a system. The bandwidth is changed by selectively enabling and disabling individual control links and data links that carry the information. During a highest bandwidth mode for the system, all of the data and control links are enabled to provide maximum information throughout. During one or more lower bandwidth modes for the system, at least one data link and/or at least one control link is disabled to reduce the power consumption of the devices. At least one data link and at least one control link remain enabled during each low bandwidth mode. For these links, the same signaling rate is used for both bandwidth modes to reduce latency that would otherwise be caused by changing signaling rates. Also, calibration information is generated for disabled links so that these links may be quickly brought back into service.

公开(公告)号：US20200250090A1

公开(公告)日：2020-08-06

申请号：US16652234

申请日：2018-10-03

Applicant: Rambus Inc.

Inventor： Frederick A. Ware ,  John Eric Linstadt ,  Christopher Haywood

IPC: G06F12/0804 ,  G06F12/12

Abstract: A hybrid volatile/non-volatile memory module employs a relatively fast, durable, and expensive dynamic, random-access memory (DRAM) cache to store a subset of data from a larger amount of relatively slow and inexpensive nonvolatile memory (NVM). A module controller prioritizes accesses to the DRAM cache for improved speed performance and to minimize programming cycles to the NVM. Data is first written to the DRAM cache where it can be accessed (written to and read from) without the aid of the NVM. Data is only written to the NVM when that data is evicted from the DRAM cache to make room for additional data. Mapping tables relating NVM addresses to physical addresses are distributed throughout the DRAM cache using cache line bits that are not used for data.

公开(公告)号：US10700671B2

公开(公告)日：2020-06-30

申请号：US15824892

申请日：2017-11-28

Applicant: Rambus Inc.

Inventor： Frederick A. Ware ,  Ely Tsern ,  Brian S. Leibowitz ,  Jared Zerbe

IPC: H03K5/13 ,  G06F13/16 ,  G11C29/02 ,  G11C7/10 ,  G11C7/22 ,  G06F13/42 ,  G06F13/00 ,  G11C7/04

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a delay circuit and first and second interface circuits. The delay circuit delays a first timing signal by an internal delay to generate an internal timing signal. The first interface circuit communicates data to an external device in response to the internal timing signal. The second interface circuit transmits an external timing signal for capturing the data in the external device. An external delay is added to the external timing signal in the external device to generate a delayed external timing signal. The delay circuit sets the internal delay based on a comparison between the delayed external timing signal and a calibration signal transmitted by the first interface circuit.

公开(公告)号：US10664344B2

公开(公告)日：2020-05-26

申请号：US15829682

申请日：2017-12-01

Applicant: Rambus Inc.

Inventor： Frederick A. Ware ,  Ely Tsern

IPC: G06F11/00 ,  G06F11/10 ,  G06F11/16 ,  G11C29/42 ,  G11C29/44 ,  G11C7/10 ,  G11C29/52 ,  G11C29/00 ,  H03M13/15 ,  G06F11/20

Abstract: A memory module is disclosed that includes a substrate, a memory device that outputs read data, and a buffer. The buffer has a primary interface for transferring the read data to a memory controller and a secondary interface coupled to the memory device to receive the read data. The buffer includes error logic to identify an error in the received read data and to identify a storage cell location in the memory device associated with the error. Repair logic maps a replacement storage element as a substitute storage element for the storage cell location associated with the error.

公开(公告)号：US10600455B2

公开(公告)日：2020-03-24

申请号：US15916193

申请日：2018-03-08

Applicant: Rambus Inc.

Inventor： Richard E. Perego ,  Frederick A. Ware

IPC: G06F13/16 ,  G11C7/10 ,  G11C5/06

Abstract: A memory system includes a memory controller with a plurality N of memory-controller blocks, each of which conveys independent transaction requests over external request ports. The request ports are coupled, via point-to-point connections, to from one to N memory devices, each of which includes N independently addressable memory blocks. All of the external request ports are connected to respective external request ports on the memory device or devices used in a given configuration. The number of request ports per memory device and the data width of each memory device changes with the number of memory devices such that the ratio of the request-access granularity to the data granularity remains constant irrespective of the number of memory devices.

公开(公告)号：US20200066314A1

公开(公告)日：2020-02-27

申请号：US16528523

申请日：2019-07-31

Applicant: Rambus Inc.

Inventor： James E. Harris ,  Thomas Vogelsang ,  Frederick A. Ware ,  Ian P. Shaeffer

IPC: G11C7/10 ,  G11C8/10 ,  G11C8/08 ,  G11C7/22 ,  G11C7/12 ,  G11C7/06 ,  G11C11/4091 ,  G11C11/408 ,  G11C11/4076 ,  G11C5/02 ,  G11C7/08

Abstract: Row activation operations within a memory component are carried out with respect to subrows instead of complete storage rows to reduce power consumption. Further, instead of activating subrows in response to row commands, subrow activation operations are deferred until receipt of column commands that specify the column operation to be performed and the subrow to be activated.