Information handling system with SRAM precharge power conservation
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsMichael Ju Hyeok Lee, Bao G Truong
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An information handling system (IHS) includes a processor with on-chip or off-chip SRAM array. After a read operation, a control circuit may instruct the SRAM array to conduct a precharge operation, or alternatively, instruct the SRAM array to conduct an equalize bitline voltage operation. A read operation may follow the precharge operation or the equalize bitline voltage operation. The control circuit may instruct the SRAM array to conduct an equalize bitline voltage operation if an equalized voltage of a bitline pair exhibits more that a predetermined amount of voltage. Otherwise, the control circuit instructs the SRAM array to conduct a precharge operation before the next read operation.
Claims14
A method of memory operation, comprising:
- providing an array of static random access memory (SRAM) cells, the array including rows and columns of SRAM cells;
- providing true and complement bitlines to each of the columns of the array;
- precharging during a precharge operation, by first and second precharge devices, the true and complement bitlines, respectively, of the columns up to a first predetermined voltage;
- reading during a read operation, by a sense amplifier, a memory state of a particular cell in a column of the array;
- equalizing during a voltage equalization operation, by an equalization device in each column, voltages on the true and complement bitlines of each column, thus providing an equalized voltage for each of the columns of the array;
- determining, by a control circuit, if the equalized voltage of a column of the array is less than a second predetermined voltage;
- and
- performing another read operation after the voltage equalization operation when the control circuit determines that the equalized voltage of a column of the array is not less than the second predetermined voltage.
A memory array, comprising:
- a plurality of static random access memory (SRAM) cells arranged in rows and columns;
- each column including true and complement bitline pairs;
- each column including first and second precharge devices that respectively charge the true and complement bitlines of that column up to a first predetermined voltage during a precharge operation;
- each column including a sense amplifier that reads a memory state of a selected cell in that column during a read operation;
- each column including a voltage equalization device coupled between the true and complement bitlines of that column to equalize voltage therebetween during a voltage equalization operation, each column thus exhibiting an equalized voltage;
- and
- a control circuit, coupled to the columns, that instructs the columns to conduct one of a voltage equalization operation and a precharge operation after read operation, wherein the control circuit determines if the equalized voltage of a column is less than a second predetermined voltage, and wherein the memory array is configured to perform another read operation after the voltage equalization operation when the control circuit determines that the equalized voltage of a column of the memory array is not less than the second predetermined voltage.
An information handling system (IHS), comprising:
- a memory;
- a processor, coupled to the memory, the processor including:
- a plurality of static random access memory (SRAM) cells arranged in rows and columns to form an SRAM memory array;
- each column including true and complement bitline pairs;
- each column including first and second precharge devices that respectively charge the true and complement bitlines of that column up to a first predetermined voltage during a precharge operation;
- each column including a sense amplifier that reads a memory state of a selected cell in that column during a read operation;
- each column including a voltage equalization device coupled between the true and complement bitlines of that column to equalize voltage therebetween during a voltage equalization operation, each column thus exhibiting an equalized voltage;
- and
- a control circuit, coupled to the columns, that instructs the columns to conduct one of a voltage equalization operation and a precharge operation after read operation, wherein the control circuit determines if the equalized voltage of a column is less than a second predetermined voltage, and wherein the array is configured to perform another read operation after the voltage equalization operation when the control circuit determines that the equalized voltage of a column of the array is not less than the second predetermined voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.