Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Kevin M Brandl

James Raymond Magro

Kedarnath Balakrishnan

Jing Wang

Oswin E Housty

Guanhao Shen

Jean J Chittilappilly

Gerald Robert Talbot

Thomas H Hamilton

Naveen Davanam

Vydhyanathan Kalyanasundharam

Indrani Paul

Mark Fowler

Ravindra Nath Bhargava

Guhan Krishnan

Tahsin Askar

Edoardo Prete

Sonu Arora

Michael L Choate

Hideki Kanayama

Scott P Murphy

Glennis Eliagh Covington

Shannon T Kesner

Abhishek Kumar Verma

Paramjit K Lubana

Adnan Dhanani

Kavyashree Pilar

Nienchi Hu

A data processor is adapted to couple to a memory. The data processor includes a memory operation array, a power engine, and an initialization circuit. The memory operation array includes a command portion and a data portion. The power engine has an input for receiving power state change request signals and an output for providing memory operations responsive to instructions stored in the command portion. The initialization circuit populates the data portion such that consecutive memory operations are separated by an amount corresponding to a predetermined minimum timing parameter.

Efficient memory power control operations

A memory controller for generating accesses for a memory includes a row hammer logic circuit for providing a sample request. In response to the sample request, the memory controller generates a sample command for dispatch to the memory to cause the memory to capture a current row. In response to a completion of the sample command, the memory controller generates a mitigation command for dispatch to the memory.

Directed refresh management for DRAM

A memory accessing circuit includes a memory controller for scheduling accesses to a memory, and a physical interface circuit for driving signals to the memory according to scheduled accesses and having configuration data. The memory controller comprises a memory and is responsive to a low power mode entry signal to save the configuration data in the memory. The physical interface circuit removes operating power from circuitry in the physical interface circuit that stores the configuration data in response to the memory controller completing a save operation.

Memory controller with enhanced low-power state

A data processor that is operable to be coupled to a memory includes a memory operation array, a controller, a refresh logic circuit, and a selector. The memory operation array is for storing memory operations for a first power state of the memory. The controller is responsive to a power state change request to execute a plurality of memory operations from the memory operation array when the first power state is selected. The refresh logic circuit generates refresh cycles periodically for the memory. The selector is for multiplexing the refresh cycles with the memory operations during a power state change to the first power state.

Refresh during power state changes

A method for performing stutter of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) where a system on a chip (SOC) initiates bursts of requests to the DRAM to fill buffers to allow the DRAM to self-refresh is disclosed. The method includes issuing, by a system management unit (SMU), a ForceZQCal command to the memory controller to initiate the stutter procedure in response to receiving a timeout request, such as an SMU ZQCal timeout request, periodically issuing a power platform threshold (PPT) request, by the SMU, to the memory controller, and sending a ForceZQCal command prior to a PPT request to ensure re-training occurs after ZQ Calibration. The ForceZQCal command issued prior to PPT request may reduce the latency of the stutter. The method may further include issuing a ForceZQCal command prior to each periodic re-training.

Memory calibration system and method

A memory controller includes a command queue, an arbiter, and a controller. The controller is responsive to a repair signal for migrating data from a failing region of a memory to a buffer, generating at least one command to perform a post-package repair operation of the failing region, and migrating the data from the buffer to a substitute region of the memory. The controller migrates the data to and from the buffer by providing migration read requests and migration write requests, respectively, to the command queue. The arbiter uses the plurality of arbitration rules for both the read migration requests and the write migration requests, and the read access requests and the write access requests.

Full dynamic post-package repair

A memory controller includes a command queue having a first input for receiving memory access requests, and a memory interface queue having an output for coupling to a memory channel adapted for connecting to at least one dynamic random access memory (DRAM) module. A refresh control circuit monitors activate commands to be sent over the memory channel. In response to an activate command meeting a designated condition, the refresh control circuit identifies a candidate aggressor row associated with the activate command. A command is sent to the DRAM requesting that the candidate aggressor row be queued for mitigation in a future refresh or refresh management event.

Refresh management list for DRAM

A memory controller interfaces with a random access memory over a memory channel. A refresh control circuit monitors an activate counter which counts a rolling number of activate commands sent over the memory channel to a memory region of the memory. In response to the activate counter being above an intermediate management threshold value, the refresh control circuit only issue a refresh management (RFM) command if there is no REF command currently held at the refresh command circuit for the memory region.

Refresh management for memory

A system and method for use in dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) comprising entering into a self-refresh mode of operation, exiting the self-refresh mode of operation in response to commands from a self-refresh state machine memory operation (MOP) array, and updating a device state of the DRAM for a target power management state in response to commands from the MOP array.

Memory context restore, reduction of boot time of a system on a chip by reducing double data rate memory training

A memory controller includes a command queue and an arbiter operating in a first voltage domain, and a physical layer interface (PHY) operating in a second voltage domain. The memory controller includes isolation cells operable to isolate the PHY from the first voltage domain. A local power state controller, in response to a first power state command, provides configuration and state data for storage in an on-chip RAM memory, causes the memory controller to enter a powered-down state, and maintains the PHY in a low-power state in which the second voltage domain is powered while the memory controller is in the powered-down state.

Memory controller power states

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for performing efficient memory accesses for a computing system are disclosed. In various embodiments, a computing system includes one or more computing resources and a memory controller coupled to a memory device. The memory controller determines a memory access request targets a given bank of multiple banks. An access history is updated for the given bank based on whether the memory access request hits on an open page within the given bank and a page hit rate for the given bank is determined. The memory controller sets an idle cycle limit based on the page hit rate. The idle cycle limit is a maximum amount of time the given bank will be held open before closing the given bank while the bank is idle. The idle cycle limit is based at least in part on a page hit rate for the bank.

Adaptive page close prediction

A memory controller interfaces with a dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The memory controller selectively places memory commands in a memory interface queue and transmits the memory commands from the memory interface queue to a memory channel coupled to at least one dynamic random access memory (DRAM). An activate counter is maintained related to a number of activate commands sent over the memory channel to a memory region of the DRAM. In response to the activate counter being at or above a designated threshold, an arbiter is signaled that a refresh command should be sent to the memory region. In response to a designated condition, a value of the activate counter is adjusted by a total number based on a first fixed number and second varying number selected with one of random selection and pseudo-random selection.

Refresh management for DRAM

A memory controller interfaces with a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) over a memory channel. A refresh control circuit monitors an activate counter which counts a rolling number of activate commands sent over the memory channel to a memory region of the DRAM. In response to the activate counter being above an intermediate management threshold value, the refresh control circuit only issue a refresh management (RFM) command if there is no REF command currently held at the refresh command circuit for the memory region.

A system includes a memory system comprising a memory module and a processor adapted to access the memory module using a memory controller that includes a controller having an input for receiving a power state change request signal and an output for providing memory operations, and a memory operation array comprising a plurality of entries. Each entry includes a plurality of encoded fields. The memory operation array is programmable to store different sequences of commands for particular types of memory of a plurality of types of memory in the plurality of entries that initiate entry into and exit from supported low power modes for the particular types of memory. The controller is responsive to an activation of the power state change request signal to access the memory operation array to fetch at least one entry, and to issue at least one memory operation indicated by the at least one entry.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Kevin M Brandl