Data access and multi-chip controller

Abstract

A single data bus to a memory device can be split up into a number of data bus portions, each of which is managed by a different respective controller chip of multiple controller chips. During a memory access to a respective memory device, each of the multiple controller chips controls a different corresponding portion of the data bus to retrieve data from or store data to the memory device depending on whether the access is a read or write. To perform the data access, a synchronizer circuit (internal and/or external to the memory controller chips) synchronizes the multiple memory controller chips such that one of the memory controller chips drives the address bus and/or control signals to the memory device. After setting the address to the memory device, the memory controller chips either read data from or write data to the memory device based on the address.