Buffered dynamic random access memory device
AssigneeRambus Inc.
InventorTorsten Partsch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A DRAM device may be configured to retransmit or not retransmit zero or more of command/address signals, write data signals, read data signals, and/or data strobe signals. The DRAM device may have separate, unidirectional read data signal and write data signal interfaces. Combined activate and read or write commands may be implemented. The configuration of the DRAM to retransmit or not retransmit signals may be determined by the DRAM device's physical location on a module via hardwired configuration pins. The various configurations allows a DRAM device to be used on both a long and narrow form factor module and a DIMM module.
Claims20
A DRAM component, comprising:
- a first interface to receive first data to be written to a first DRAM memory array and second data retrieved from a second DRAM memory array;
- a second interface to receive command/address signals;
- the first interface being configurable to, based on configuration information, retransmit zero or more of the first data and the second data and being configurable to, based on the configuration information, not retransmit zero or more of the first data and the second data;
- and,
- the second interface being configurable to, based on the configuration information, retransmit the command/address signals and being configurable to, based on the configuration information, not retransmit the command/address signals.
A DRAM memory device, comprising:
- a data interface to receive data signals;
- a command/address interface to receive command/address signals;
- and,
- the data interface configurable, in a first data (DQ) interface mode, to retransmit received data signals, the command/address (CA) interface configurable, in a first CA interface mode, to retransmit received command/address signals.
A method of operating a DRAM memory device, comprising:
- receiving configuration information;
- based on the configuration information, selecting one of a first data interface mode and a second data interface mode;
- based on the configuration information, selecting one of a first command/address (CA) interface mode and a second CA interface mode;
- if the first data interface mode is selected, retransmitting data received via a first data interface from a second data interface;
- if the second data interface mode is selected, not retransmitting data received via the first data interface from the second data interface;
- if the first CA interface mode is selected, retransmitting CA signal received via a first CA interface from a second CA interface;
- and,
- if the second CA interface mode is selected, not retransmitting data received via the first CA interface from the second CA interface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.