Nec Corporation

Renesas Electronics Corporation

Nec Electronics Corporation

Yoshikazu Yabe

Masato Motomura

Yoshiharu Aimoto

Tohru Kimura

Taro Fujii

Koichiro Furuta

Takao Toi

Kenichiro Anjo

Toru Awashima

Noritsugu Nakamura

Yoshitaka Izawa

Disclosed is an array-type processor including a data path unit in which a plurality of processor elements are arranged in an array; a state-transition management unit that stores information for controlling changeover of data paths; and a delay adjusting circuit that adjusts delay of the input clock signal based upon information output from the state-transition management unit, and provides the delay-adjusted clock signal to the data path unit. The delay adjusting circuit has a delay control information memory and a programmable delay. The delay control information memory stores a plurality of items of delay control information, delay control information is read out using a configuration number supplied from the state-transition management unit as an address, and the delay control information is applied to the programmable array. The programmable delay delays the input clock signal by a delay time specified by the delay control information and provides the delayed clock signal to the data path unit.

Array-type processor having delay adjusting circuit for adjusting a clock cycle in accordance with a critical path delay of the data path

A multiplicity of processor elements that are arranged in rows and columns individually execute data processing in accordance with instruction codes that are individually set as data and supply event data as output. A state control unit is composed of a plurality of units that successively switch the instruction codes of the multiplicity of processor elements in accordance with a computer program and the event data, these state control units communicating with each other to realize linked operation as necessary. An event distributing means distributes event data to this plurality of state control units that intercommunicate to realize linked operation, whereby the plurality of state control units can realize linked operation to control a large-scale state transition.

Array-type processor having plural processor elements controlled by a state control unit

Occurrence and propagation of glitches caused by changing the path layout are suppressed, thereby reducing the power consumption. An array-type processor comprises a plurality of processor elements and can change the path layout relating to data transmission/reception between the processor elements depending on clock cycle. Each processor element comprises a layout information memorythat stores a layout information indicating signal relating to the layout of the paths, a delay adjusting circuitthat adjusts the timing of a layout information indicating signal Pin outputted from the layout information memoryat every clock cycle, and a wiring connection circuitthat changes a path to at least one of the other processor elements (PE) or function unit(s) (a register file unitand an arithmetic logic unit) based on a layout information indicating signal Pout whose timing has been adjusted.

Configuration layout number controlled adjustable delaying of connection path changes among processors in array to reduce transition glitches

A multiplicity of processor elements, which both individually execute data processing in accordance with instruction codes that have been set as data and for which mutual connection relations are switch-controlled, are arranged in matrix form, and the instruction codes of this multiplicity of processor elements are successively switched by a state control unit. The state control units are composed of a plurality of units that intercommunicate to realize linked operation, and the multiplicity of processor elements is divided into a number of element areas that corresponds to the number of state control units. The plurality of state control units are arranged for each of the plurality of element areas and are connected to the processor elements, whereby the plurality of state control units can individually control a plurality of small-scale state transitions, or the plurality of state control units can cooperate to control a single large-scale state transition.

Array-type processor having state control units controlling a plurality of processor elements arranged in a matrix

In a plural line buffer type memory LSI, a line selection register 16 (holding an address for designating a line buffer) is added. The value of the line selection register 16 is previously updated by a memory access instruction having a room in an address. Thus, it is possible to maintain compatibility with input/output terminals of a general purpose memory LSI, or to prevent the increase in the number of input/output terminals, and also to prevent the increase of the memory access delay attributable to the restriction in connection with the issue of the commands. Accordingly, it is possible to maintain the compatibility with the general purpose memory LSI having no line buffer, or alternatively to prevent the increase of the memory access delay attributable to a restriction in an interval for issuing the commands.

Plural line buffer type memory LSI

A memory LSI with compressed data inputting and outputting function provides reduction of data transfer amount and whereby to expand effective passband width with restricting transfer loss upon transfer of variable length compressed data. Data size detection circuit detects a size of a compressed data input from an external device on the basis of a compression information added to the compressed data and indicative of a size of data after compression. A data input and output circuit and an instruction decoder are operated for a period necessary for writing operation to write in the compressed data in a memory cell array. The data size detection circuit detects size of the compressed data held in the memory cell array on the basis of the compression information upon reading out to operate the data input and output circuit and the memory cell array for a period necessary for reading operating to read out compressed data to the external device.

Memory LSI with compressed data inputting and outputting function

In a multiple line buffer type memory LSI, when line buffers retaining data read out from a memory section does not exist in a multiple line buffer section, data retained in any of the line buffers are copied and held temporarily in standby in the write-back buffers. The data read out from the memory section are retained in the line buffers. The data temporarily held in standby in the write-back buffers are written back into the memory section.

Multiple line buffer type memory LSI

A memory large scale integrated circuit with a data compression/decompression function, applicable to a main memory system, graphics memory system and such is provided with a data compression/decompression section. In this structure, compressed data-read with respect to a memory section is performed with an application of a data compressor within the compression/decompression section, and compressed data-write with respect to the memory section is performed with an application of a data decompressor within the compression/decompression section. Owing to this structure, even when a data bandwidth is physically the same as in the conventional case, it is practically possible to achieve a larger data bandwidth in use.

Memory integrated circuit and main memory and graphics memory systems applying the above

When a minute electric potential difference on a bit line pair is transmitted to sense amplifier, a bit line pair having a high load is electrically separated from the sense amplifier, thereby performing amplification. Therefore, reading speed can be increased. Furthermore, a plurality of sense amplifier are provided corresponding to each bit line pair. While any of the sense amplifier amplifies the read data, data held in another sense amplifier are written to the memory cell through the corresponding bit line pair. Consequently, in the case where the writing and reading operations are carried out alternately, the delay of a reading operation start period can be reduced during the writing operation. Consequently, it is possible to implement a memory device capable of increasing reading speed and reducing the delay of the reading operation start period by the writing operation even if writing frequency is almost equal to reading frequency.

Semiconductor memory device in which a BIT line pair having a high load

A random access memory device includes a plurality of memory blocks, a memory block selecting circuit and a column decoder. Each memory block comprise a memory cell array including a plurality of word lines, a plurality of bit line pairs and a plurality of memory cells, and a peripheral circuit including sense amplifiers which amplify data read out onto bit line pairs when a memory block select signal for a particular memory block is active to connect all memory cells contained in one row with associated bit line pairs. An access control circuit changes a block address and a column address while maintaining a row address unchanged, thus performing a rapid random access of memory cells contained in a common row over the memory blocks.

Semiconductor memory device for a rapid random access

A memory access system including a logic/control circuit, a memory, an address bus connecting the logic/control circuit and the memory and an address transition detector circuit provided on address lines constituting the address bus, the address transition detector circuit detecting a memory access signal requesting memory access involving word line switching in the memory out of memory access signals transmitted from the logic/control circuit to the memory through the address lines and outputting a detection signal, and the logic/control circuit receiving input of the detection signal from the address transition detector circuit to temporarily stop its operation until the memory access is completed.

System for accessing dynamic random access memory where the

In a data transfer apparatus powered by first and second power supply voltages, a data output circuit generates first complementary output signals, a data transfer circuit having a large load capacitance transfers the first complementary output signals to generate second complementary output signals, and an amplifier circuit amplifies the second complementary output signals to generate third complementary output signals. A first transfer gate circuit is connected between the data output circuit and the data transfer circuit. A second transfer gate circuit is connected between the data transfer circuit and the amplifier circuit. The first, second and third complementary output signals are caused to be approximately at an intermediate level between the first and second voltages.

Data transfer apparatus with large noise margin and reduced power

A signal transmission circuit suitable for a memory device includes a signal generating section for generating a data signal from a power source, a pair of signal transmission lines for transferring the data signal by transferring signal charge associated by the data signal, an amplifying section for amplifying the data signal transferred by the signal transmission lines, and a precharge section for precharging the output of the signal generating section, the pair of signal transmission lines and the output of the amplifying section to a median potential level between the potential levels of the power source. The precharge section provides power saving as well as a larger noise margin.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Yoshikazu Yabe