Write data mask method and system
AssigneeATI Technologies ULC
InventorsJoseph D. Macri, Stephen Morein, Ming-Ju E. Lee, Lin Chen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for performing byte-writes are described, where byte-writes involve writing only particular bytes of a multiple byte write operation. Embodiments include mask data that indicates which bytes are to be written in a byte-write operation. No dedicated mask pin(s) or dedicated mask line(s) are used. In one embodiment, the mask data is transmitted on data lines and store in response to a write_mask command. In one embodiment, the mask data is transmitted as part of the write command.
Claims24
A method, comprising:
- transmitting a data mask comprising a plurality of bits indicating corresponding bytes of multiple bytes of data to be written in a write operation from a first system component to a second system component as a portion of a write command over an address/command line of an interface coupling the first system component and the second system component;
- transmitting the data from the first system component to the second system component over a data line of an interface coupling the first system component with the second system component, wherein the same data is transmitted over the data line in a plurality of consecutive bursts during a time period when the write command is a write mask command;
- and
- writing particular bytes of the data from the data line into the second system component based on the write command.
A system comprising:
- a memory component;
- an interface that includes a data line and an address/command line;
- a processor coupled with the memory component through the interface and configured to:
- transmit data to be written in the memory component over the data line;
- transmit a write command over the address/command line wherein the write command comprises writing only particular bytes of multiple bytes of the data to be written during a write operation;
- and
- transmit a data mask comprising a plurality of bits indicating corresponding bytes of multiple bytes of data to be written in response to the write command as a portion of the write command during a write operation, wherein the same data is transmitted over the data line in a plurality of consecutive bursts during a time period when the write command is a write_mask command.
A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, that when executed causes a digital processing system to perform a method, the method comprising:
- transmitting a data mask comprising a plurality of bits indicating corresponding bytes of multiple bytes of data to be written in a write operation from a first system component to a second system component as a portion of a write command over an address/command line of an interface coupling the first system component and the second system component;
- transmitting the data from the first system component to the second system component over a data line of an interface coupling the first system component with the second system component, wherein the same data is transmitted over the data line in a plurality of consecutive bursts during a time period when the write command is a write mask command;
- and
- writing particular bytes of the data from the data line into the second system component based on the write command.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.