Power management
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsChang Wan HA, Hang Tian, Jong Kang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods, and apparatus configured to perform such methods, providing peak power management are useful in mitigating excessive current levels within a multi-die package. For example, a method might include generating a clock signal in a particular die of a plurality of dies, counting pulses of the clock signal in a wrap-around counter in each die of the plurality of dies, and pausing an access operation for the particular die of the plurality of dies at a designated point until a value of the wrap-around counter matches an assigned counter value of the particular die.
Claims40
An apparatus, comprising:
- an array of memory cells;
- a controller, wherein the controller is configured to perform an access operation on the array of memory cells;
- a clock generator for generating a clock signal;
- and
- a wrap-around counter responsive to the clock signal;
- wherein the controller is further configured to pause the access operation at a designated point until a value of the wrap-around counter matches an assigned counter value of the apparatus.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of dies, wherein each die of the plurality of dies comprises:
- an array of memory cells;
- a controller;
- and
- a wrap-around counter;
- wherein the controller is configured to perform an access operation on the array of memory cells;
- wherein the controller is further configured to pause access operations at one or more designated points of those access operations until a value of the wrap-around counter matches an assigned counter value of that die, and to resume an access operation so paused when the value of the wrap-around counter matches the assigned counter value of that die;
- and
- wherein each designated point is a point in a given access operation prior to a high-current demand portion of that access operation;
- wherein a particular die of the plurality of dies comprises a clock generator for generating the clock signal;
- wherein the wrap-around counter of each die of the plurality of dies is responsive to the clock signal;
- wherein the clock generator of the particular die is selectively enabled in response to a ready/busy signal indicative of whether any die of the plurality of dies is busy performing any of the access operations, and a clock enable signal indicative of whether any die of the plurality of dies is in a high-current demand portion of any of the access operations.
A method of operating a plurality of dies, comprising:
- generating a clock signal in a particular die of the plurality of dies;
- counting pulses of the clock signal in a wrap-around counter in each die of the plurality of dies, wherein each die of the plurality of dies has an assigned counter value;
- pausing an access operation for the particular die of the plurality of dies at a designated point until a value of the wrap-around counter matches an assigned counter value of the particular die.
A method of operating a plurality of dies, comprising:
- generating a clock signal in a particular die of the plurality of dies;
- counting pulses of the clock signal in a wrap-around counter in each die of the plurality of dies, wherein each die of the plurality of dies has an assigned counter value;
- pausing an access operation for the particular die of the plurality of dies at a designated point until a value of the wrap-around counter matches an assigned counter value of the particular die, wherein the designated point is a point in the access operation prior to a high-current demand portion of the access operation;
- resuming the access operation when the value of the wrap-around counter matches the assigned counter value of the particular die;
- and
- stopping generation of the clock signal while the access operation is in the high-current demand portion of the access operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.