# US 10,455,698 B2 · Load reduced memory module

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- Number: US 10,455,698 B2
- Document ID: US10455698B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/208,353
- Filed: 2018-12-03
- Published: 2019-06-20
- Granted: 2019-10-22
- Earliest claimed: 2013-10-15
- Assignees: Rambus Inc.
- Applicants: Rambus Inc.
- Inventors: Frederick A. Ware; Suresh Rajan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10455698B2

## CPC

- H05K 1/11: Printed elements for providing electric connections to or between printed circuits
- G06F 1/184: Mounting of motherboards
- G06F 13/1694: {Configuration of memory controller to different memory types}
- G06F 13/4068: {Electrical coupling}
- G06F 15/7803: {System on board, i.e. computer system on one or more PCB, e.g. motherboards, daughterboards or blades}
- G11C 5/04: Supports for storage elements {, e.g. memory modules}; Mounting or fixing of storage elements on such supports
- G11C 5/06: Arrangements for interconnecting storage elements electrically, e.g. by wiring
- G11C 7/10: Input/output [I/O] data interface arrangements, e.g. I/O data control circuits, I/O data buffers
- G11C 8/12: Group selection circuits, e.g. for memory block selection, chip selection, array selection
- G11C 11/408: Address circuits
- G11C 11/4082: {Address Buffers; level conversion circuits}
- G11C 11/4093: Input/output [I/O] data interface arrangements, e.g. data buffers
- H05K 1/181: associated with surface mounted components
- H05K 2201/10159: Memory
- H05K 2201/10189: Non-printed connector
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)

## Abstract

The embodiments described herein describe technologies for memory systems. One implementation of a memory system includes a motherboard substrate with multiple module sockets, at least one of which is populated with a memory module. A first set of data lines is disposed on the motherboard substrate and coupled to the module sockets. The first set of data lines includes a first subset of point-to-point data lines coupled between a memory controller and a first socket and a second subset of point-to-point data lines coupled between the memory controller and a second socket. A second set of data lines is disposed on the motherboard substrate and coupled between the first socket and the second socket. The first and second sets of data lines can make up a memory channel.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A memory module comprising:
a circuit board comprising a plurality of device sites, wherein each device site, of the plurality of device sites, is a location on the circuit board at which at least one respective memory device is disposed, wherein a first subset of the plurality of device sites is mapped to a first rank controlled by a first chip select (CS) signal and a second subset of the plurality of device sites is mapped to a second rank controlled by a second CS signal;
a data buffer component disposed on the circuit board, the plurality of device sites being coupled to the data buffer component; and
a command and address (CA) buffer component disposed on the circuit board, wherein the CA buffer component comprises:
a first pin to receive the first CS signal from a memory controller component, the first CS signal to specify selection of at least one memory device disposed in the first subset of the plurality of device sites; and
a second pin to receive the second CS signal from a second memory module via a private bus, the second CS signal to specify selection of at least one memory device disposed in the second subset of the plurality of device sites.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The memory module of claim 1, wherein a third subset of the plurality of device sites is mapped to a third rank controlled by a third CS signal, wherein the CA buffer component further comprise a third pin coupled to receive the third CS signal from a third memory module via the private bus, the third CS signal to specify selection of at least one memory device disposed in the third subset of the plurality of device sites.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The memory module of claim 1, wherein the CA buffer component further comprises:
a first flip-flop coupled to the first pin;
a second flip-flop coupled to an output of the first flip-flop, wherein an output of the second flip-flop is coupled to the first subset of the plurality of device sites;
an input buffer coupled to the second pin; and
a third flip-flop coupled to an output of the input buffer, wherein an output of the third flip-flop is coupled to the second subset of the plurality of device sites.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The memory module of claim 3, wherein the first flip-flop, second flip-flop, and third flip-flop are clocked by a timing signal.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The memory module of claim 4, wherein the CA buffer component further comprises a phase locked loop (PLL) coupled to a fourth pin to receive a clock signal and to generate the timing signal.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The memory module of claim 3, wherein the CA buffer component further comprises an output buffer coupled to the output of the first flip-flop, wherein an output of the output buffer is coupled to the second pin and is to generate the first CS signal to send to the second memory module over the private bus.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The memory module of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of device sites comprises at least one of a single memory die, a package stack of at least two memory dies, or a die stack of at least two memory dies.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The memory module of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of device sites comprises a double data rate fourth generation (DDR4) dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The memory module of claim 8, wherein the DDR4 DRAM device comprises:
an array;
a data path coupled to the array;
a primary port coupled to the data path;
a secondary port coupled to the data path; and
a command decoder coupled to the array and the data path.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The memory module of claim 8, wherein the data buffer component comprises:
a plurality of input ports;
a multiplexer coupled to the plurality of input ports;
control logic coupled to the multiplexer; and
a synchronizer coupled to the control logic and the multiplexer.

### Claim 11

A memory system comprising:
a memory controller component;
a first memory module;
a second memory module;
a private bus coupled between the first memory module and the second memory module, wherein the first memory module comprises:
a circuit board comprising a plurality of device sites, wherein each device site, of the plurality of device sites, is a location on the circuit board at which at least one respective memory device is disposed, wherein a first subset of the plurality of device sites is mapped to a first rank controlled by a first chip select (CS) signal and a second subset of the plurality of device sites is mapped to a second rank controlled by a second CS signal;
a data buffer component disposed on the circuit board, the plurality of device sites being coupled to the data buffer component; and
a command and address (CA) buffer component disposed on the circuit board, wherein the CA buffer component comprises:
a first pin to receive the first CS signal from the memory controller component, the first CS signal to specify selection of at least one memory device disposed in the first subset of the plurality of device sites; and
a second pin to receive the second CS signal from the second memory module via a private bus, the second CS signal to specify selection of at least one memory device disposed in the second subset of the plurality of device sites.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The memory system of claim 11, wherein the second memory module comprises:
a second circuit board comprising a second plurality of device sites, wherein each device site, of the second plurality of device sites, is a location on the second circuit board at which at least one respective memory device is disposed, wherein a first subset of the second plurality of device sites is mapped to the first rank controlled by the first CS signal and a second subset of the second plurality of device sites is mapped to the second rank controlled by the second CS signal;
a second data buffer component disposed on the second circuit board, the second plurality of device sites being coupled to the second data buffer component; and
a second CA buffer component disposed on the second circuit board, wherein the second CA buffer component comprises:
a first pin to receive the second CS signal from the memory controller component, the second CS signal to specify selection of at least one memory device disposed in the second subset of the plurality of device sites; and
a second pin to receive the first CS signal from the first memory module via a private bus, the first CS signal to specify selection of at least one memory device disposed in the first subset of the plurality of device sites.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The memory system of claim 11, further comprising a third memory module coupled to the memory controller component and the private bus.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The memory system of claim 13, wherein a third subset of the plurality of device sites is mapped to a third rank controlled by a third CS signal, wherein the CA buffer component further comprise a third pin to receive the third CS signal from the third memory module via the private bus, the third CS signal to specify selection of at least one memory device disposed in the third subset of the plurality of device sites.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The memory system of claim 11, wherein the CA buffer component further comprises:
a first flip-flop coupled to the first pin;
a second flip-flop coupled to an output of the first flip-flop, wherein an output of the second flip-flop is coupled to the first subset of the plurality of device sites;
an input buffer coupled to the second pin; and
a third flip-flop coupled to an output of the input buffer, wherein an output of the third flip-flop is coupled to the second subset of the plurality of device sites.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The memory system of claim 15, wherein the first flip-flop, second flip-flop, and third flip-flop are clocked by a timing signal.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The memory system of claim 16, wherein the CA buffer component further comprises a phase locked loop (PLL) coupled to a fourth pin to receive a clock signal and to generate the timing signal.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The memory system of claim 15, wherein the CA buffer component further comprises an output buffer coupled to the output of the first flip-flop, wherein an output of the output buffer is coupled to the second pin and is to generate the first CS signal to send to the second memory module over the private bus.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The memory system of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of device sites comprises at least one of a single memory die, a package stack of at least two memory dies, or a die stack of at least two memory dies.

### Claim 20 (depends on 11)

The memory system of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of device sites comprises a double data rate fourth generation (DDR4) dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) device.