Memory access technique
AssigneeData General Corporation
InventorWilliam P. Churchill, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A memory access technique for use in digital data processing apparatus, particularly in mini-computer systems, in which a plurality of memory modules are used, each of the modules having a main memory and a higher speed auxiliary, or "cache" memory, the data in the "cache" memories of a plurality of modules being capable of storage therein in an interleaved manner. Appropriate modifiable interconnection means, such as modifiable jumper connections, are provided on each memory module to permit the modules to be arranged for either interleaved or non-interleaved operation. As additional modules are added to the system, additional "cache" memory storage is automatically added and the capability of higher order interleaving becomes readily possible.
Claims10
A memory module for use in a data processing system having a plurality of memory modules and a memory address bus for transferring addresses in said system, each said memory module comprising
- a main memory means operable at a first speed;
- an auxiliary memory means operable at a second speed higher than said first speed for temporarily storing selected portions of the data stored in said main memory means;
- associative memory means for temporarily storing selected main memory addresses and comparing the stored addresses with an address supplied from said memory address bus to said associative memory means during a read or write operation to generate comparison data for indicating whether data requested by said supplied address is stored in said auxiliary memory means;
- and
- means for storing said selected data portions in said auxiliary memory means so that the data stored in the auxiliary memory means of all of said plurality of memory modules are arranged in an interleaved manner such that data which are expected to be referenced sequentially during the operation of said data processing system are sequentially stored in the auxiliary memory means of different ones of said memory modules.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.