Address converter apparatus and method to support various kinds of memory chips and application system thereof
AssigneeLeadtek Research Inc.
InventorsKun-Ho Wu, Hai-Feng Chuang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Address converter apparatus and method to support various memory chips and an application system thereof. A flexibly programmed memory addressing circuit is used as a bridge between a control chip and a memory chip. A correct addressing method is selected according to a selected configuration value, so that the application system is not only able to use the control chip to support the memory chip, but is also able to use a new type of memory chip with multiple capacities. An optimal method is selected to partition or isolate the malfunctioning portion of the partly malfunctioning memory chip for further combination or simulation.
Claims18
An application system with an address converter apparatus to support various kinds of memory chips, comprising:
- a control chip, outputting an address and chip select signal to control a first type memory chip, wherein the control chip does not directly support and control a second type memory chip;
- a currently operating memory chip, including one of the first type memory chip, the second type memory chip, or a partly malfunctioning first type memory chip;
- and
- the address converter apparatus, coupled to the control chip and the currently operating memory chip to convert the address and chip select signal output by the control chip into an output address and chip select signal to control the currently operating memory chip,
- wherein the address converter apparatus comprises:
- a select configuration and storage apparatus, to configure and store a select configuration value of the currently operating memory chip;
- and
- a logic control and switch circuit, coupled to the select configuration and storage apparatus, the control chip and the currently operating memory chip, to receive the address and chip select signal, and to convert the address and chip select signal into the output address and chip select signal to control the currently operating memory chip,
- wherein the address and chip select signal includes a first bank address signal, a second bank address signal, a column address signal, a row address signal, a first chip select signal, and a second chip select signal, and wherein the output address and chip select signal includes an output bank address signal, an output column address signal, an output row address signal, a first output chip select signal, and a second output chip select signal.
An address converter apparatus to support various kinds of memory chips, to convert an address and chip select signal output from a control chip into an output address and chip select signal to control a currently operating memory chip, wherein the currently operating memory chip includes one of a first type memory chip, a second type memory chip, or a partly malfunctioning first type memory chip, and the control chip does not directly support and control the second type memory chip, the address converter apparatus comprising:
- a select configuration and storage apparatus, to configure and store a select configuration value of the currently operating memory chip;
- and
- a logic control and switch circuit, coupled to the select configuration and storage apparatus, the control chip and the currently operating memory chip, to receive the address and chip select signal, and to convert the address and chip select signal into the output address and chip select signal to control the currently operating memory chip,
- wherein the address and chip select signal includes a first bank address signal, a second bank address signal, a column address signal, a row address signal, a first chip select signal, and a second chip select signal, and wherein the output address and chip select signal includes an output bank address signal, an output column address signal, an output row address signal, a first output chip select signal, and a second output chip select signal.
An address converter method to support various kinds of memory chips, to convert an address and chip select signal output from a control chip into an output address and chip select signal to control a currently operating memory chip, wherein the currently operating memory chip includes one of a first type memory chip, a second type memory chip, or a partly malfunctioning first type memory chip, and the control chip does not directly support and control the second type memory chip, the address converter method comprising:
- a first step, to select configuration and store a select configuration value of the currently operating memory chip;
- and
- a second step, to receive the address and chip select signal output from the control chip, and to convert the address and chip select signal into an output address and chip select signal according to the select configuration value, so as to control the currently operating memory chip,
- wherein the address and chip select signal includes a first bank address signal, a second bank address signal, a column address signal, a row address signal, a first chip select signal, and a second chip select signal, and the output address and chip select signal includes an output bank address signal, an output column address signal, an output row address signal, a first output chip select signal, and a second output chip select signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.