Back to results
US 6,636,943 B1Granted
Method for detecting continuity modules in a direct Rambus DRAM subsystem
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorCharles J. Stancil
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method to inform the user that there is a missing Direct RDRAM continuity module in a specific RIMM socket or sockets. Upon system startup, the status of each of the RIMM sockets is checked, and if a socket is empty, this information is provided to the user. This provides a great advantage over known systems, in which the user would only receive a general failure notice, without any indication as to the problem.
Claims20
A computer system, comprising:
- a user input device, a microprocessor which is operatively connected to detect inputs from said input device, and an output device operatively connected to receive outputs from said microprocessor;
- a plurality of sockets, each connected to communicate with a memory module or a continuity module installed therein, said plurality of sockets being connected in series to communicate with said microprocessor;
- detection circuitry connected to detect the presence or absence of said continuity module in each of said sockets;
- wherein a report is made to the user of whether any socket contains neither a memory module nor a continuity module.
1 more element
A computer system, comprising:
- at least one input device and at least one output device;
- a main system module which does not include said input and output devices, and which includes therein:
- at least one microprocessor which is operatively connected to detect inputs from said input device and to send data to said output device, and random-access memory which is connected to be read/write accessible by said microprocessor, said random-access memory being arranged as a plurality of sockets connected in series, each of said sockets configured to receive a memory module or a continuity module;
- a bus connected to said main system module, and having connections through which additional modules can communicate with said main system module;
- and
- a plurality of bistable circuits, each connected to detect the presence or absence of said continuity modules in respective ones of said sockets;
- wherein upon startup, said system reads said bistable circuits, and reports to the user any socket which contains neither a memory module nor a continuity module.
4 more elements
A method of checking a memory circuit, comprising the steps of:
- (a.) passing a signal sequentially between a series of memory sockets;
- (b.) changing the state of a plurality of bistable circuits as said signal passes between said ones of said series of memory sockets, in response to whether respective sockets pass said signal;
- (c.) reporting an empty socket where indicated by said bistable circuits.
A method of checking a memory circuit, comprising the steps of:
- (a.) reading a plurality of memory sockets to determine the presence of memory modules;
- (b.) if no memory modules are present in any of said memory sockets, then ending;
- (c.) sending a signal sequentially to each socket;
- (d.) configuring a plurality of bistable circuits in response to whether said signal is passed through respective sockets;
- and
- (e.) providing feedback to a user according to the state of said bistable circuits.
3 more elements
A computer system, comprising:
- a microprocessor;
- a keyboard adapted to allow a user to create input data;
- an interface manager adapted to receive the input data and deliver the input data to the microprocessor;
- a hard disk adapted to store data;
- a disk interface adapted to exchange data between the microprocessor and the hard disk;
- a memory subsystem that is accessible by the microprocessor, the memory subsystem comprising:
- a plurality of memory slots adapted to receive either a memory module or a continuity module;
- detection circuitry adapted to detect (i) the presence of absence of a memory module and (ii) the presence or absence of a continuity module;
- executable instructions adapted to monitor the detection circuitry and generate a message to the user if the detection circuitry indicates the presence of a memory module in one of the plurality of memory slots and the absence of memory modules and continuity modules in any of the other slots.
6 more elements
A memory subsystem, comprising:
- a plurality of memory slots adapted to receive either a memory module or a continuity module;
- detection circuitry adapted to detect (i) the presence or absence of a memory module and (ii) the presence or absence of a continuity module;
- executable instructions adapted to monitor the detection circuitry and generate a message to the user if the detection circuitry indicates the presence of a memory module in one of the plurality of memory slots and the absence of memory modules and continuity modules in any of the other slots.
A method of providing information about the status of a memory subsystem in a computer system, the memory subsystem having a plurality of memory sets adapted to receive either a memory module or a continuity module, the method comprising the acts of:
- determining whether at least one of the plurality of memory slots contains a memory module;
- if at least one of the plurality of memory slots contains a memory module, determining whether each of the remaining plurality of memory slots contains a continuity module;
- delivering a message to a user if at least one of the remaining plurality of memory slots contains neither a memory module nor a continuity module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.