Memory access control device having bank access checking circuits smaller in number than memory modules

A memory access control device for controlling access to a memory device, said memory device including first through N-th memory modules, where N represents an integer greater than three, each of said memory modules comprising a predetermined number of memory banks, said memory access control device comprising:

• address signal processing means supplied with a first input address signal comprising a first module address portion, a first bank address portion, and a first element address portion and a second input address signal comprising a second module address portion, a second bank address portion, and a second element address portion, for processing said first and said second module address portions into first and second module address signals each of which represents an address of said memory modules, said first and said second bank address portions into first and second bank address signals each of which represents one of addresses of said memory banks and for producing said first and said second input address signals as first and second address signals as they are;
• a first bank address signal holding circuit connected to said address signal processing means for holding said first bank address signal as a first bank address held signal;
• a second bank address signal holding circuit connected to said address signal processing means for holding said second bank address signal as a second bank address held signal;
• a module checking circuit connected to said address signal processing means for checking said first and said second module address signals to produce a module coincidence signal when said first and said second module address signals coincide with each other;
• a first bank access signal holding circuit connected to said first bank address signal holding circuit for holding a first bank access held signal;
• a second bank access signal holding circuit connected to said second bank address signal holding circuit for holding a second bank address hold signal;
• a first bank access checking circuit connected to said address signal processing means and said first bank access signal holding circuit for checking said first bank address signal and said first bank access held signal to produce a first bank coincidence signal when said first bank address signal and said first bank access held signal coincide with each other;
• a second bank access checking circuit connected to said address signal processing means and said second bank access signal holding circuit for checking said second bank address signal and said second bank access held signal to produce a second bank coincidence signal when said second bank address signal and said second bank access held signal coincide with each other;
• access judging means connected to said module checking circuit and said first and said second bank access checking circuits for alternately producing a first inhibit signal and a second inhibit signal when supplied with said module coincidence signal, said access judging means producing said first inhibit signal when supplied with said first bank coincidence signal, said access judging means producing said second inhibit signal when supplied with said second bank coincidence signal, said access judging means producing first and second shift signals when said first and said second inhibit signals are not produced, respectively;
• shift signal supply means connected to said access judging means and said first and said second bank address signal holding circuits for supplying said first and said second shift signals to said first and said second bank address signal holding circuits to transfer said first bank address held signal to said first bank access signal holding circuit as said first bank access held signal, and said second bank address held signal to said second bank access signal holding circuit as said second bank access held signal;
• and
• access signal output control means connected to said memory modules, said address signal processing means, and said access judging means for specifying by said first address signal, as a first specified memory module, a particular memory module of said memory modules to send said first bank address portion and said element address portion to said first specified memory module when said access signal output control means is supplied with said first address signal and when said access judging means does not produce said first inhibit signal, said access signal output control means specifying by said second address signal, as a second specified memory module, a specific memory module of said memory modules to send said second bank address portion and said element address portion to said second specified memory module when said access signal output control means is supplied with said second address signal and when said access judging means does not produce said second inhibit signal.

A memory access control device for controlling access to a memory device comprising first through N-th memory modules, where N represents an integer greater than three, each of said memory modules comprising a predetermined number of memory banks, said memory access control device comprising:

• address signal processing means, supplied with a first input address signal comprising a first module address portion, a first bank address portion, and a first element address portion and a second input address signal comprising a second module address portion, a second bank address portion, and a second element address portion, for processing said first and said second module address portions into first and second module address signals each of which represents an address of said memory modules and, for processing said first and said second bank address portions into first and second bank address signals, each of which represents an address of said memory banks and for producing said first and said second input address signals as first and second address signals as they are;
• a first bank address signal holding circuit connected to said address signal processing means for holding said first bank address signal as a first bank address held signal;
• a second bank address signal holding circuit connected to said address signal processing means for holding said second bank address signal as a second bank address held signal;
• a module checking circuit connected to said address signal processing means for checking said first and said second module address signals to produce a module coincidence signal when said first and said second module address signals coincide with each other;
• a first bank access signal holding circuit connected to said first bank address signal holding circuit for holding a first bank access held signal;
• a second bank access signal holding circuit connected to said second bank address signal holding circuit for holding a second bank access held signal;
• a first bank access checking circuit connected to said address signal processing means and said first bank access signal holding circuit for checking said first bank address signal and said first bank access held signal to produce a first bank coincidence signal when said first bank address signal and said first bank access held signal coincide with each other;
• a second bank access checking circuit connected to said address signal processing means and said second bank access signal holding circuit for checking said second bank address signal and said second bank access held signal to produce a second bank coincidence signal when said second bank address signal and said second bank access held signal coincide with each other;
• access judging means connected to said module checking circuit and said first and said second bank access checking circuits for alternately producing a first inhibit signal and a second inhibit signal when supplied with said module coincidence signal, said access judging means producing said first inhibit signal when supplied with said first bank coincidence signal, said access judging means producing said second inhibit signal when supplied with said second bank coincidence signal, said access judging means producing first and second shift signals when said first and said second inhibit signals are not produced, respectively;
• shift signal supply means connected to said access judging means and said first and said second bank address signal holding circuits for supplying said first and said second shift signals to said first and said second bank address signal holding circuits to transfer said first bank address held signal to said first bank access signal holding circuit as said first bank access held signal, and said second bank address held signal to said second bank access signal holding circuit as said second bank access held signal;
• and
• access signal output control means connected to said memory modules, said address signal processing means, and said access judging means for inhibiting supply of said first and said second address signals to said memory modules when said access judging means produces said first inhibit signal and when said access judging means produces said second inhibit signal, respectively.