Qualcomm Incorporated

Deepti Vijayalakshmi Sriramagiri

Jungwon Suh

Dexter Tamio Chun

Jung Pill Kim

Xiangyu Dong

Yanru Li

Alain Artieri

Marzio Pedrali-Noy

Xuhao Huang

Michael Drop

Raghu Sankuratri

Edwin Jose

Mosaddiq Saifuddin

Sungryul Kim

Vaishnav Srinivas

David Ian West

Jason Alan Thurston

Srinivas Maddali

Disclosed are techniques for generating a parity check matrix representing an error correcting code (ECC) for protecting a plurality of bits of a message. In an aspect, a method includes initializing a matrix M to store selected three-bit codes, selecting a first three-bit code from a set L of three-bit combinations of a number of bits n of the ECC that minimizes a sum of squared row weights of each row of the matrix M, comparing the first three-bit code with each of a plurality of error syndromes, and calculating, based on no comparison of the first three-bit code with each of the plurality of error syndromes, new error syndromes and storing the new error syndromes, wherein the new error syndromes are calculated by comparing the first three-bit code with each three-bit code in the matrix M, and storing the first three-bit code in the matrix M.

Optimized error-correcting code (ECC) for data protection

Errors can be introduced when data is transferred over a link between two entities such as between a host and a memory. Link error protection schemes can be implemented to detect and correct errors that occur on the link to enhance transmission reliability. However, these benefits are not without costs since such protection schemes increase both latency and power consumption. In one or more aspects, it is proposed to dynamically adjust the level of link error protection applied to match any change in the operating environment. For example, likelihood of link errors strongly correlates with the link speed. If the link speed is increased, a greater level of link error protection can be applied to counteract the increase in the link errors. If the link speed is decreased, the level of protection can be decreased so that latency and power consumption penalties can be minimized.

Dynamic link error protection in memory systems

A method includes sending a first signal from a memory device to a memory controller. The first signal indicates to the memory controller that particular memory cells of the memory device are to be refreshed by the memory device.

Method and apparatus for refreshing a memory cell

A memory having a redundancy area is operated in a normal mode and an error is detected. A selecting selects between in-line repair process and off-line repair. In-line repair applies a short term error correction, which remaps a fail address to a remapped memory area of the memory. An in-system repair is applied, for a one-time programmed remapping of the fail address to a redundancy area of the memory. In-system repair utilizes idle time of the memory to maintain valid memory content.

Method and apparatus for in-system management and repair of semi-conductor memory failure

Memory devices may send information related to refresh rates to a memory controller. The memory controller may instruct the memory devices to refresh based on the received information.

Method and apparatus for storing retention time profile information based on retention time and temperature

Writing to and reading from dynamic random access memory (DRAM) by a system on chip (SoC) over a multiphase multilane memory bus has power consumption optimized based on bit error rate (BER) and one or more thresholds. The bit error rate (BER) may be measured and used to control parameters to achieve optimal balance between power consumption and accuracy. The bit error rate (BER) measurement, purposely adding jitter, and checking against the thresholds is performed during normal mission-mode operation with live traffic. Error detection may cover every memory data transaction that has a block of binary data.

Dynamic control of signaling power based on an error rate

In a repair of a random access memory (RAM), an error information is received, a fail address of the RAM identified, and a one-time programming applied to a portion of the redundancy circuit while a content of the RAM is valid. Optionally, the RAM is a dynamic access RAM (DRAM), a refresh burst is applied to the DRAM, followed by a non-refresh interval, and the one-time programming is performed during the non-refresh interval.

Method and apparatus for in-system repair of memory in burst refresh

A method of refreshing a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) includes detecting an open page of the DRAM at a row of a DRAM bank within an open sub-array of the DRAM bank. The method also includes delaying issuance of a refresh command to a target refresh row of the DRAM bank when the target refresh row of the DRAM bank is within the open sub-array of the DRAM bank.

DRAM sub-array level autonomic refresh memory controller optimization

Systems, methods, and computer programs are disclosed for recovering from dynamic random access memory (DRAM) defects. One method comprises determining that an uncorrected bit error has occurred for a physical codeword address associated with a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device coupled to a system on chip (SoC). A kernel page associated with a DRAM page comprising the physical codeword address is identified as a bad page. Recovery from the uncorrected bit error is provided by rebooting a system comprising the SoC and the DRAM device. In response to the rebooting, the identified kernel page is excluded from being allocated for DRAM operation.

Systems and methods for recovering from uncorrected DRAM bit errors

Methods and systems for an in-system repair process that repairs or attempts to repair random bit failures in a memory device are provided. In some examples, an in-system repair process may select alternative steps depending on whether the failure is correctable or uncorrectable. In these examples, the process uses communications between a system on chip and the memory to fix the failures during normal operation.

Systems and methods for reducing memory failures

A method for data synchronization is provided according to certain embodiments. The method comprises receiving data, a data clock signal, and a clean clock signal, sampling the data using the data clock signal, synchronizing the sampled data with the clean clock signal, and outputting the synchronized sampled data. The method also comprises tracking a phase drift between the data clock signal and the clean clock signal, and pulling in the output of the synchronized sampled data by one clock cycle of the clean clock signal if the tracked phase drift reaches a first value in a first direction.

Low latency synchronization scheme for mesochronous DDR system

Systems, methods, and computer programs are disclosed for kernel masking dynamic random access memory (DRAM) defects. One such method comprises: detecting and correcting a single-bit error associated with a physical address in a dynamic random access memory (DRAM); receiving error data associated with the physical address from the DRAM; storing the received error data in a failed address table located in a non-volatile memory; and retiring a kernel page corresponding to the physical address if a number of errors associated with the physical address exceeds an error count threshold.

Kernel masking of DRAM defects

In one embodiment, a memory interface comprises a cleanup phase-locked loop (PLL) configured to receive a reference clock signal, and to generate a clean clock signal based on the reference clock signal. The memory interface also comprises a synchronization circuit configured to receive data, a data clock signal, and the clean clock signal, wherein the synchronization circuit is further configured to sample the data using the data clock signal, and to synchronize the sampled data with the clean clock signal.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Deepti Vijayalakshmi Sriramagiri