Memory module employing a junction circuit for point-to-point connection isolation, voltage translation, data synchronization, and multiplexing/demultiplexing

A first memory module comprising:

• at least one memory device;
• a junction circuit having a first port to couple to a bus from at least one of a memory controller and at least one daisy-chained memory module that includes first data lines characterized by at least one of at least one memory-data line and at least one non-memory-data line;
• a second port coupled to the memory devices;
• a third port to couple to a bus from at least one of a memory controller and at least one daisy-chained memory module that includes second data lines characterized by at least one of at least one memory-data line and at least one non-memory data line;
• to send data received from the first port to the second port and the third port, to send data received from the second port to the first port and the third port, and to send data received from the third port to the second port and the first port, and that includes
• an isolation circuit to provide a point-to-point connection to the first port and the third port, and
• a data synchronization circuit in electrical communication with the first port, the second port, and the third port to synchronize the data input to the first port with the data input to the third port, depending upon the difference in arrival time between the data input to port 1 and the data input to port 2 caused by the number of intermediate other memory modules the data input to port 1 and the data input to port 2 each pass through before input to the junction circuit, and transmit the synchronized data to the third port.

A memory system having a plural number of memory modules wherein each memory module comprises:

• at least one memory device and
• a junction circuit having a first port to couple to a bus from at least one of a memory controller and at least one daisy-chained memory module that includes first data lines characterized by at least one of at least one memory-data line and at least one non-memory-data line;
• a second port coupled to the memory devices;
• a third port to couple to a bus from at least one of a memory controller and at least one daisy-chained memory module that includes second data lines characterized by at least one of at least one memory-data line and at least one non-memory data line;
• to send data received from the first port to the second port and the third port, to send data received from the second port to the first port and the third port, and to send data received from the third port to the second port and the first port, and that includes
• an isolation circuit to provide a point-to-point connection to the first port and the third port, and
• a data synchronization circuit in electrical communication with the first port, the second port, and the third port to synchronize the data input to the first port with the data input to the third port, depending upon the difference in arrival time between the data input to port 1 and the data input to port 2 caused by the number of intermediate other memory modules the data input to port 1 and the data input to port 2 each pass through before input to the junction circuit, and transmit the synchronized data to the third port,
• wherein the memory modules are connected in a daisy-chain that includes a memory module third port coupled by a bus to a succeeding memory module first port wherein the first port of the first memory module in the daisy-chain is to be coupled by a first bus that includes a first exclusive set of data lines to a first port of a memory controller, and the third port of the last memory module in the daisy chain is to be coupled by a second bus that includes a second exclusive set of data lines to a second port of the memory controller.