Micron Technology Incorporated

Mark D Ingram

Scott E Schaefer

Scott D Van De Graaff

Todd Jackson Plum

Aaron Preston Boehm

Ethan Williford

Jun Liu

Glen Earl Hush

Mike P Violette

Steve Porter

Trevor Hardy

Methods, systems, and devices for evaluation of memory device health monitoring logic are described. A memory device may include health monitoring logic that is operable to be enabled in a configuration that corresponds to an output, such as an expected output, regardless of a degradation level of the memory device. Such a configuration may be enabled in a mode, such as a test mode, during which the memory device, or a host device coupled with the memory device, or some combination, may evaluate a difference between the output and an actual output of the health monitoring logic. The actual output being the same as the output may provide an indication that at least a portion of the health monitoring logic is functioning properly, and the actual output being different than the output may provide an indication that at least a portion of the health monitoring logic is not functioning properly.

Evaluation of memory device health monitoring logic

Methods, systems, and devices for inter-device communications for memory health monitoring are described. These communications relate to a host device that is associated with a memory device that monitors and reports health information (e.g., one or more parameters associated with a status of the memory device). The memory device may transmit the health information to the host device (e.g., a vehicle or a computer of the vehicle), which may perform one or more operations and transmit the health information to another entity of a system (e.g., ecosystem) including the host device. The host device may additionally or alternatively use the health information. In some cases, the other entity may receive the health information and transmit a signal back to the host device based on the health information. The other entity of the ecosystem may receive the health information and may make a determination based on the health information.

Inter-device communications for memory health monitoring

Methods, systems, and devices for operating frequency monitoring for memory devices are described for monitoring one or more operating frequency ranges experienced by a memory device. The memory device may include monitoring circuitry or logic that may identify one or more durations of operating the memory device within the one or more operating frequency ranges. The memory device may store an indication of the one or more durations, or an indication of information associated with the one or more durations. The indication may be accessed a host device associated with the memory device or may be transmitted by the memory device to the host device. The host device may use information included in the indication to perform an operation associated with the memory device.

Frequency monitoring for memory devices

Methods, systems, and devices for operational monitoring for memory devices are described. Some memory devices may degrade over time, and this degradation may include or refer to a reduction of an ability of the memory device to reliably store, read, process, or communicate information, among other degradation. In accordance with examples as disclosed herein, a memory device may include components configured for monitoring health or life expectancy or both of the memory device, such as components internal to the memory device that identify and store various indications of a duration of operating a memory device. An operational duration stored at the memory device may be used in various operations, such as calculations or comparisons, to evaluate health or life expectancy of the memory device, which may include or be supported by various signaling with a host device.

Operational monitoring for memory devices

Methods, systems, and devices for memory traffic monitoring are described. The monitoring may include traffic monitoring of access operations performed at various components of the memory device, or may include sensors that may measure parameters of components of the memory device to detect wear. The traffic monitoring or the parameters measured by the sensors may be represented by a characteristic related to an operational bias of circuits of the memory device. The memory device may use the characteristic (e.g., along with a threshold) to determine whether to adjust a parameter associated with performing access operations received by the memory device, in order to implement a corrective action.

Memory traffic monitoring

Methods, systems, and devices for adaptive user defined health indications are described. A host device may be configured to dynamically indicate adaptive health flags for monitoring health and wear information for a memory device. The host device may indicate, to a memory device, a first index. The first index may correspond to a first level of wear of a set of multiple indexed levels of wear for the memory device. The memory device may determine that a metric of the memory device satisfies the first level of wear and indicate, to the host device, that the first level of wear is satisfied. The host device may receive the indication that the first level of wear is satisfied and indicate, to the memory device, a second level of wear of the set of indexed levels of wear that is different than the first level of wear.

Adaptive user defined health indication

Methods, systems, and devices for evaluation of memory device health monitoring logic are described. For example, a memory device may include health monitoring logic operable to activate certain internal health monitors of a set of multiple monitors and to communicate an output associated with the activated monitors. In a first mode of operation, the health monitoring logic may provide a single output that is generated from multiple outputs of the set of monitors. In a second mode of operation, the health monitoring logic may cycle through certain monitors (e.g., in a test mode), and may generate an output corresponding to respective active monitors as it cycles through the set of monitors. The health monitoring logic may communicate an output specific to each monitor to a host device such that the host device may evaluate an output from each monitor of the set of monitors.

Methods, systems, and devices for monitoring and adjusting access operations at a memory device are described to support integrating monitors or sensors for detecting memory device health issues, such as those resulting from device access or wear. The monitoring may include traffic monitoring of access operations performed at various components of the memory device, or may include sensors that may measure parameters of components of the memory device to detect wear. The traffic monitoring or the parameters measured by the sensors may be represented by a metric related to access operations for the memory device. The memory device may use the metric (e.g., along with a threshold) to determine whether to adjust a parameter associated with performing access operations received by the memory device, in order to implement a corrective action.

Monitoring and adjusting access operations at a memory device

Methods, systems, and devices for temperature monitoring for memory devices are described for monitoring one or more temperature ranges experienced by a memory device. The memory device may include monitoring circuitry or logic that may identify one or more durations of operating the memory device within the one or more temperature ranges. The memory device may store an indication of the one or more durations, or an indication of information associated with the one or more durations. The indication may be accessed a host device associated with the memory device or may be transmitted by the memory device to the host device. The host device may use information included in the indication to perform an operation associated with the memory device.

Temperature monitoring for memory devices

Methods, systems, and devices for life expectancy monitoring for memory devices are described. A memory device may monitor a parameter of a component of the memory device or the memory device overall, and may determine whether the parameter satisfies a threshold. The parameter may represent or be associated with a lifetime of the component, a level of wear of the component, or an operating parameter violation of the component, or any combination thereof. The memory device may communicate, to a host device, an indication of the parameter satisfying the threshold, and the host device may use the information in the indication to adjust one or more parameters associated with operating the memory device, among other example operations.

Life expectancy monitoring for memory devices

Methods, systems, and devices for monitoring and reporting a status of a memory device are described. A memory device may include monitoring circuitry that may be configured to monitor health and wear information for the memory device. A host device may write to a dedicated register of the memory device, to configure the memory device with health status information reporting parameters. The memory device may monitor and report the health status information of the memory device based on the received reporting configuration or based on a default configuration, and may write one or more values indicative of the health status information to a dedicated register. The host device may perform a read on the readout register to obtain the health status information, as indicated by the one or more values, and may adjust operating procedures or take other actions based on the received health status information.

Monitoring and reporting a status of a memory device

Methods, systems, and devices for memory device health evaluation at a host device are described. The health evaluation relates to a host device that is associated with a memory device that monitors and reports health information, such as one or more parameters associated with a status of the memory device. The memory device may transmit the health information to the host device, which may perform one or more operations and may transmit the health information to a device of another entity of a system (e.g., ecosystem) including the host device. The host device may include one or more circuits for transmitting and processing the health information, such as a system health engine, a safety engine, a communication component, or a combination thereof. Based on a determination by the host device or information received from an external device, the host device may transmit a command to the memory device.

Memory device health evaluation at a host device

Methods, systems, and devices for life expectancy monitoring for memory devices are described. Some memory devices may degrade over time, and this degradation may include or refer to a reduction of an ability of the memory device to reliably store, read, process, or communicate information, among other degradation. In accordance with examples as disclosed herein, a system may include components configured for monitoring health or life expectancy of the memory device, such as components that perform comparisons between signals or other operating characteristics resulting from operating at the memory device and one or more threshold values that may be indicative of a life expectancy of the memory device. In various examples, a memory device may perform a subsequent operation based on such a comparison, or may provide an indication of a life expectancy to a host device based on one or more comparisons or determinations about health or life expectancy.

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Boise, ID, United States of America

Mark D Ingram