Abstract: A central control circuit is configured to remotely connect to a plurality of machines over a network. Each machine has a respective user interface to indicate a machine state and enable user input. The central control circuit is configured to receive an alarm code, determine whether the alarm code corresponds to a machine state for which a machine learning application has been trained, and obtain an image from the user interface in response to a determination that the machine learning application has been trained for the machine state. The central control circuit is further configured to analyze the image to identify one or more features, generate one or more commands in the machine learning application, and send the one or more commands to the user interface according to the features to change the machine state.

Abstract: Noise injection procedures implemented on the die of a non-volatile memory (NVM) array are disclosed. In one example, noise is injected into data by adjusting read voltages to induce bit flips while using feedback to achieve a target amount of information degradation. In another example, random data is iteratively combined with itself to achieve a target percentage of random 1s or 0s, then the random data is combined with data read from the NVM array. In other examples, pixels are randomly zeroed out to emulate dead charge coupled device (CCD) pixels. In still other examples, the timing, voltage, and/or current values used within circuits while transferring data to/from latches or bitlines are adjusted outside their specified margins to induce bit flips to inject noise into the data. The noise-injected data may be used, for example, for dataset augmentation or for the testing of deep neural networks (DNNs).

Abstract: Programming a plurality of non-volatile memory cells includes performing a soft erase process during the programming. The soft erase process includes pre-charging channels of the memory cells and performing an erase operation subsequent to the pre-charging while the channels are at one or more elevated voltages at least partially due to the pre-charging.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed herein for a memory device with multiple dies bonded together. The memory device may be referred to herein as an integrated memory assembly. The integrated memory assembly has a control semiconductor die and two or more memory semiconductor dies. In one embodiment, each memory semiconductor die has a memory structure having blocks of memory cells. Bit lines extend over the respective memory structure. In one embodiment the integrated memory assembly has what is referred to herein as a “separate bit line architecture”. The separate bit line architecture allows the control semiconductor die to control a memory operation in parallel in the two memory semiconductor dies. Moreover, the separate bit line architecture allows for good scaling of a memory device with multiple dies bonded together.

Abstract: To reduce spikes in the current used by a NAND memory die, different ramp rates are used for the pass voltage applied to unselected word lines during a program operation depending on whether data is stored in a multi-level cell (MLC) format or in a single level cell (SLC) format. These ramp rates can be determined through device characterization and stored as parameter values on the memory die. Different ramp rate interval values can also be used for the pass voltage applied to unselected word lines during a program operation depending on whether data is stored in an MLC format or in an SLC format.

Abstract: Reset operations impact data storage device latency. Every reset operation involves flushing cache data to the memory device and resetting the front end application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) accelerator/host interface module (HIM). Multiple resets that are performed consecutively waste valuable data storage device resources due to the duplication of the operations that every reset operation performs. Data storage device latency can be improved, as can data storage device idle time, by combining reset operations and removing duplicative operations. For example, for two different, but consecutive reset operations, the reset operations are performed by flushing the cache data and resetting the ASIC accelerator/HIM only once rather than repeat the operations for each reset operation. In so doing, the two reset operations complete reset operations faster than would otherwise occur.

Abstract: A data storage device includes a non-volatile memory device that includes at least a first wordline having first data and a second wordline sequential and adjacent to the first wordline and a controller coupled to the non-volatile memory device. The controller is configured to receive a write command to program second data to the second wordline, read and store the first data from the first wordline a in a first location prior to programming the second data, program the second data to the second wordline, re-read and store the first data from the first wordline in a second location during the programming, compare the read first data and the re-read first data, and mark one or more bits of the first wordline that are different based on the comparing. The marked one or more bits are used as soft bits in future read and decode operations.

Abstract: The memory device has a plurality of memory blocks including a plurality of memory cells arranged in a plurality of word lines. The memory device also includes control circuitry that is in communication with the plurality of memory blocks. The control circuitry is configured to receive a data write instruction. The control circuitry is further configured to program the memory cells of the memory blocks to an SLC format. In response to the data programmed to the memory cells of the memory blocks in the SLC format reaching an SLC limit prior to completion of the data write instruction, without erasing the memory cells programmed to the SLC format, the control circuitry is configured to program the memory cells of at least some of the plurality of memory blocks from the SLC format to a TLC format.

Abstract: An apparatus that comprises a plurality of memory cells and a control circuit coupled to the plurality of memory cells is disclosed. The control circuit is configured to perform a read operation. The read operation includes determining a read condition of a memory cell, where the read condition is of a plurality of read conditions and determining a boost timing for the memory cell, where the boost timing corresponds to the read condition.

Abstract: A controller is configured to program the memory cells to a first set of data states in a first programming pass and to a greater second set of data states in a second programming pass. The controller performs the first programming pass on the first word line. The controller then repeats the process of programming a portion of another word line and then comparing an upper tail of an erased data state of the first word line to a critical voltage until the upper tail of the erased data state of the first word line exceeds the critical voltage by a threshold. In response to the upper tail of the erased data state exceeding the critical voltage by the threshold, the controller then alternates between the first and second programming passes until the first programming pass is completed on the remaining word lines of the memory block.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to data storage devices and related methods that use secure host memory buffers and low latency operations. In one aspect, a controller is configured to fetch a command from a host device, and fetch entry data from a host memory buffer (HMB) of the host device in response to the command from the host device. The HMB is utilized in place of DRAM in the controller so that the data storage device is DRAM-less. In one embodiment, the entry data includes a logical to physical (L2P) address. The controller is also configured to fetch read data from the one or more memory devices using the entry data, conduct a validity check of the entry data fetched from the HMB simultaneously with the fetching of the read data from the one or more memory devices, and transmit validity result data to the host device.

Abstract: To prevent loss of data due to a word line to memory hole short (or another defect), it is proposed to perform an erase process for a plurality of memory cells, detect that a subset of the plurality of memory cells are slow to erase, and prevent successfully programming for at least some of the memory cells that are slow to erase. This technique uses the erase process to predict future word line to memory hole shorts and prevent programming of memory cells predicted to have a future word line to memory hole short so no data will be lost when the short manifests.

Abstract: A data storage device and method for device-initiated hibernation are provided. In one embodiment, the data storage device comprises a non-volatile memory and a controller. The controller is configured to: receive, from a host during a set-up phase of a hibernation process, a plurality of write commands with a current state of a volatile memory in the host; store the plurality of write commands in a queue, wherein the plurality of write commands are not executed during the set-up phase of the hibernation process; receive a trigger from the host to perform an execution phase of the hibernation process; and in response to receiving the trigger, execute the plurality of write commands to store the current state of the host's volatile memory in the non-volatile memory of the data storage device. Other embodiments are possible, and each of the embodiments can be used alone or together in combination.

Abstract: A memory device including an array of memory cells arranged in a plurality of word lines is provided. A control circuitry is configured to program the memory cells of a selected word line to a plurality of leading data states in a plurality of programming loops that include programming and verify pulses. The control circuitry is also configured to count a total number of programming loops during programming of the selected word line. The control circuitry is also configured to program at least one memory cell of the selected word line to a last data state in at least one last data state programming loop. In response to both the total number of programming loops being less than a first predetermined threshold and the number of last data state programming loops being equal to a second predetermined threshold, the control circuitry automatically skips verify in a final programming loop.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to validating memory devices. Rather than using debug hardware (HW) to consume, record, and decode firmware (FW) events, standard non-volatile memory express (NVMe) asynchronous event request (AER) and NVMe asynchronous event notification (AEN) is used. The NVMe AER results in initiating a particular function to be performed by a device under test (DUT) and triggering a cross feature (CF) that should at least partially overlap in time with the particular function. Using NVMe AER and AEN will eliminate the need for debug HW, reduce FW custom logic, and reduce latency.

Abstract: A storage device is disclosed herein. The storage device comprises: a non-volatile memory, where the non-volatile memory includes a block of N wordlines partitioned into a plurality of sub-blocks; and control circuitry coupled to the N wordlines. The control circuitry is configured to: determine a program status of an unselected sub-block of the plurality of sub-blocks before performing an operation on a selected sub-block of the plurality of sub-blocks; based on determining that the program status of the unselected sub-block is programmed, perform a precharge operation including applying a first precharge time; and based on determining that the program status of the unselected sub-block is not programmed, perform a precharge operation including applying a second precharge time, wherein the first precharge time is for a longer period than the second precharge time.

Abstract: A memory apparatus and method of operation are provided. The memory apparatus includes memory cells connected to one of a plurality of word lines including an edge word line and a plurality of other data word lines. The memory cells are disposed in memory holes organized in rows grouped in a plurality of strings. The rows include full circle rows and semi-circle rows. A control means is configured to program the memory cells connected to the edge word line and in the semi-circle rows of a first one and a second one of the plurality of strings to a predetermined one of a plurality of data states in a first program operation. The control means then selects both the first one and the second one of the plurality of strings together and programs the memory cells of the full circle rows together in a second program operation.

Abstract: A data storage device includes a memory device and a controller coupled to the memory device. The controller is configured to create one or more thresholds for sending sideband information to a host device, determine that a link state is in a state other than L0, retain sideband information until the one or more thresholds is reached, and send the sideband information to the host device upon reaching the one or more thresholds for a corresponding link state. The one or more thresholds correspond to a link state between the host device and the data storage device. The thresholds are either based on an amount of sideband information retained, a time of retaining sideband information, or a combination of the amount of sideband information retained and the time of retaining sideband information. The sideband information is retained and sent in a first-in first-out order.

Abstract: A memory apparatus and method of operation are provided. The apparatus includes memory cells connected to word lines including a dummy word line and other data word lines. The memory cells are disposed in memory holes and configured to retain a threshold voltage. A control means is coupled to the word lines and the memory holes and is configured to determine whether one of the word lines being programmed in a program operation is a particular one of the word lines adjacent the dummy word line needing a dummy positioning operation. The control means is also configured to program the memory cells connected to the dummy word line to adjust the threshold voltage to a predetermined position threshold voltage in the dummy positioning operation in response to determining the one of the plurality of word lines being programmed in the program operation is the particular one of the word lines.

Abstract: A memory apparatus and operating method are provided. The apparatus includes memory cells connected to word lines and disposed in strings and configured to retain a threshold voltage corresponding to data states. A control means is configured to program and verify the memory cells during a program operation. The memory cells associated with predetermined ones of the data states are not verified until the memory cells associated with specific prior ones of the data states finish programming to define verify windows ranging between each one of the specific prior ones of the data states and each one of the predetermined ones. The control means adjusts the verify windows in response to the memory cells associated with one of the specific prior ones of the data states not finishing programming before the one of the predetermined ones of the at least one of the verify windows is verified.