Memory access methods and devices for use with random access memories

Abstract

In a memory access method used with a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) having first and second banks, each information item is allocated respective first and second storage locations in the memory. The first and second storage locations are in the first and second banks (Bank 0, Bank 1) respectively. When, in the same time slot, it is required to write a first such information item (W) in the memory and to read a second such information item (R) from the memory, it is firstly determined which of the first and second banks currently holds the second information item (R). The first information item (W) is written in the first storage location allocated thereto if the determined bank is the second bank and is written in the second storage location allocated thereto if the determined bank is the first bank. The second information item (R) is read from the determined bank after the first information is written. As a result, the write and read operations can be interleaved, providing increasing throughput as is desirable in, for example, pipelined memory access systems. Other SDRAM access method and devices for improving throughput also apply.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.