Kingston Technology Company

Benjamin E Chou

Ngoc V Le

Thang Nguyen

Memory modules such as SIMMs and DIMMs are automatically tested by a target-system motherboard such as a PC motherboard. An automated SIMM/DIMM handler is connected to a handler adaptor board that is mounted to the back or solder-side of the PC motherboard. The relatively flat surface of the solder-side of the PC motherboard allows close mounting of the handler. One or more of the SIMM sockets on the motherboard is removed to provide mounting holes for the handler adaptor board. The handler adaptor board provides electrical connection from the module-under-test (MUT) in the handler to the removed SIMM socket on the PC motherboard. The handler adaptor board provides a slight spacing or offset from the solder-side surface of the PC motherboard's substrate, allowing the handler to be plugged directly into tester-connectors on the handler adaptor board. Since the offset of the adaptor board is slight, the length of electrical connections to the handler is short, minimizing the load on the PC's memory bus. A handler controller card that controls the handler is plugged into the PCI or ISA bus on the PC motherboard. Power to the handler adaptor board is cut when a new module is moved into position in the handler, reducing memory-bus upset.

Testing memory modules on a solder-side adaptor board attached to a PC motherboard

Testing memory modules with a PC motherboard attached to a memory-module handler by a solder-side adaptor board

Data is compressed in an industry-standard local-area network (LAN) such as IEEE 802.2 or 802.3. Compression occurs at a low level, in the data link layer just above the physical layer. The data in the packet is compressed, but the source and destination addresses are not compressed. A type/length field which indicates the length of the data field is adjusted for the new compressed length, while a frame checksum which was calculated for the uncompressed data is re-generated for the compressed data. Thus the packet with the compressed data has the length and checksum adjusted for the newly compressed data so that the packet appears normal to other layers of the LAN protocol. A status byte may be added to the compressed data to disable compression on a remote LAN station. The compressed data packet is compatible with hubs to other LANs and bridges to WANs. The low-level compression is compatible with LANs that have older LAN stations that do not have compression capabilities, since the only packets compressed are those sent to LAN stations that support low-level compression. A destination address table is consulted which includes the compression capabilities of other LAN stations. Thus multi-point LANs can support data compression.

Growing community of inventors

Irvine, CA, United States of America

Benjamin E Chou