Abstract: An integrated circuit, such as an integrated circuit memory or buffer device, method and system, among other embodiments, generate a plurality of error codes, such as CRC codes, corresponding to control information, write data and read data transactions, respectively. The plurality of separately generated CRC codes is logged or stored in respective storage circuits, such as circular buffers. The stored plurality of CRC codes corresponding to each transaction then may be used to determine whether an error occurred during a particular transaction and thus whether a retry of the particular transaction is issued. The integrated circuit includes a compare circuit to compare a CRC code generated by the integrated circuit with a CRC code provided by a controller device. A CRC code corresponding to read data is transferred to a controller device using a data mask signal line that is not being used during a read transaction.

Abstract: A memory module having reduced access granularity. The memory module includes a substrate having signal lines thereon that form a control path and first and second data paths, and further includes first and second memory devices coupled in common to the control path and coupled respectively to the first and second data paths. The first and second memory devices include control circuitry to receive respective first and second memory access commands via the control path and to effect concurrent data transfer on the first and second data paths in response to the first and second memory access commands.

Abstract: A memory controller is disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the memory controller may comprise a first transmitter to output first and second write commands synchronously with respect to a clock signal, a second transmitter to output first data using a first timing offset such that the first data arrives at a first memory device in accordance with a predetermined timing relationship with respect to a first transition of the clock signal, and a third transmitter to output second data suing a second timing offset such that the second data arrives at a second memory device in accordance with a predetermined timing relationship with respect to a second transition of the clock signal.

Abstract: A memory system having first and second memory devices and a termination component. A first signal line is coupled to the first memory device to provide first data, associated with a write command, to the first memory device, and a second signal line coupled to the second memory device to provide second data, associated with the write command, to the second memory device. A control signal path is coupled to the first and second memory devices and the termination component such that the write command propagating on the control signal path propagates past the first memory device and the second memory device before reaching the termination component. A third signal line is provided to convey a clock signal that indicates when the write command propagating on the control signal path is to be sampled by the first and second memory devices.

Abstract: A multi-mode memory device. A plurality of storage banks are provided, each including a plurality of rows of storage cells and having an access restriction in that at least a minimum access time interval is imposed between successive accesses to a given row of the storage cells. Data path circuitry is provided to transfer data between the plurality of storage banks and an external signal path during first and second modes of operation of the memory device. During the first mode of operation a first data item is transferred, in response to a first memory access request, during a first time interval that is not longer than the minimum time interval. During the second mode of operation a plurality of data items are transferred during the first time interval, in response to a plurality of memory access requests.

Abstract: An integrated circuit memory device includes a first set of pins and a memory core. The first set of pins receive, using a clock signal, a write command and a read command. Control information is issued internally in response to the write command after a predetermined delay time transpires following receipt of the write command, the control information initiating the write operation in the memory device. A second set of pins output the read data after a first delay time transpires from when the read command is received. Each pin of the second set of pins outputs two bits of read data during a clock cycle of the clock signal. The second set of pins also receive write data after a second delay time has transpired from when the write command is received. The second delay time is based on the first delay time.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device is described. The integrated circuit device includes a transmitter circuit having an output driver to output data, and a register to store a value representative of an equalization co-efficient setting of the output driver. The value may be determined based on information stored in a supplemental memory device.

Abstract: A method and system that provides for execution of a first calibration sequence, such as upon initialization of a system, to establish an operation value, which utilizes an algorithm intended to be exhaustive, and executing a second calibration sequence from time to time, to measure drift in the parameters and to update the operation value in response to the measured drift. The second calibration sequence utilizes less resources of the communication channel than does the first calibration sequence. In one embodiment, the first calibration sequence for measurement and convergence on the operation value utilizes long calibration patterns, such as codes that are greater than 30 bytes, or pseudorandom bit sequences having lengths of 2N?1 bits, where N is equal to or greater than 7, while the second calibration sequence utilizes short calibration patterns, such as is fixed codes less than 16 bytes, and for example as short as 2 bytes long.

Abstract: A system includes a first bus, a master device coupled to the first bus, and one or more subsystems coupled to the first bus. A respective subsystem includes a second bus, one or more slave devices coupled to the second bus, a write buffer to receive incoming signals from the master device via the first bus and to transmit signals to the one or more slave devices via the second bus in response to the incoming signals, and a read buffer to receive outgoing signals from the one or more slave devices via the second bus and to transmit signals to the master device via the first bus in response to the outgoing signals.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device includes a delay circuit, sampling circuit and delay control circuit that cooperate to carry out adaptive timing calibration. The delay circuit generates a timing signal by delaying an aperiodic input signal for a first interval. The sampling circuit samples a data signal in response to the timing signal to generate a sequence of data samples, and also samples the data signal in response to a phase-shifted version of the timing signal to generate a sequence of edge samples. The delay control circuit adjusts the first interval based, at least in part, on a phase error indicated by the sequence of data samples and the sequence of edge samples.

Abstract: In a memory device, either a first portion or a second, smaller portion of data retrieved from a storage array is loaded into a data buffer in accordance with a prefetch mode selection and then output from the memory device via a signaling interface. A value that indicates a minimum number of cycles of a clock signal that are to transpire between successive accesses to any one of the storage resources may be received and stored within a configuration circuit of the memory device. If the value indicates a number of clock cycles, N, that is less than a threshold number, the memory device may transfer data associated with a first address between the signaling interface and the data buffer during each of N cycles of the clock signal.

Abstract: A method and system for transferring information within a computer system is provided. The system includes a memory device that has a lower power mode in which data transfer circuitry is not driven by a clock signal, and a higher power mode in which data transfer circuitry is driven by a clock signal. The system further includes a memory controller that sends control signals to the memory device to initiate a data transfer transaction. The memory device receives the control signals asynchronously, and assumes the second mode in response to one of the control signals. While the memory device is in the second mode, the memory controller sends a control signal to identify a particular clock cycle. The memory device synchronously transfers the data. The memory device determines when to begin the data transfer based on the identified clock cycle and the type of data transfer that has been specified.

Abstract: A memory system has first, second and third interconnects and an integrated circuit memory device coupled to the interconnects. The second interconnect conveys a write command and a read command. The third interconnect conveys write data and read data. The integrated circuit memory device includes a pin coupled to the first interconnect to receive a clock signal. The memory device also includes a first plurality of pins coupled to the second interconnect to receive the write command and read command, and a second plurality of pins coupled to the third interconnect to receive write data and to assert read data. Control information is applied to initiate the write operation after a first predetermined delay time transpires from when the write command is received. During a clock cycle of the clock signal, two bits of read data are conveyed by each pin of the second plurality of pins.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for storing data in a memory device is described. The apparatus is configured to perform the following steps. The method employs a two-step technique which allows the out-of-order completion of read and write operations. When a write operation requires a resource needed for the completion of a read operation, the data being written is stored in a write data buffer in the memory device. The write data is stored in the buffer until a datapath is available to communicate the data to the memory device's memory core. Once the resource is free (or the memory device, or its controller force the write to complete) the data is written to the memory core of the memory device using the now-free datapath.

Abstract: An integrated circuit memory device having delayed write command processing includes a first set of pins coupled to a memory core, the first set of pins to receive a row address followed by a column address. A second set of pins, coupled to memory core, are used to receive a sense command followed by a write command. The sense command specifies the sensing of a row of memory cells identified by the row address, and the write command specifies that the memory device receive write data and store the write data at a column location identified by the column address. The write command is posted internally to the memory device after a first delay has transpired from when the write command is received at the second set of pins.

Abstract: An integrated circuit memory device has a first set of pins to receive, using a clock signal, a row address followed by a column address. The device has a second set of pins to receive, using the clock signal, a sense command and a write command. The sense command specifies that the device activate a row of memory cells identified by the row address. The write command specifies that the memory device receive write data and store the write data at a location, identified by the column address, in the row of memory cells. The write command is posted internally to the memory device after a first delay has transpired from a first time period in which the write command is received at the second set of pins. The write data is received at a third set of pins after a second delay has transpired from the first time period.

Abstract: A dynamic random access memory device includes banks of dynamic memory cells. The device performs a refresh operation in response to receiving a self refresh command, by refreshing rows of the memory cells located in each of the banks. Further, a refresh frequency for the refresh operation is selected such that the refresh frequency is minimized to conserve power consumed by the memory device while being sufficient to refresh the rows of the memory cells.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device has a memory core that includes at least eight banks of dynamic random access storage cells and an internal data bus coupled to the memory core. The internal data bus receives a plurality of data bits from a selected bank of the memory core. The semiconductor memory device further comprises a first interface to receive a read command from external to the semiconductor memory device and a second interface to output first and second subsets of the plurality of data bits. The first subset is output during a first phase of an external clock signal and the second subset is output during a second phase of the external clock signal. The first phase includes a first edge transition and the second phase includes a second edge transition. The second edge transition is an opposite edge transition with respect to the first edge transition.

Abstract: Various module structures are disclosed which may be used to implement modules having 1 to N channels. Bus systems may be formed by the interconnection of such modules.

Abstract: According to embodiments, a system includes a master device and a first memory module having a plurality of integrated circuit memory devices and a plurality of integrated circuit buffer devices that operate in first and second modes of operation (bypass mode). In a first mode of operation, a first memory module provides read data from the plurality of integrated circuit memory devices (via a integrated circuit buffer device) on a first signal path to the master and a second memory module simultaneously provides read data from its plurality of integrated circuit memory devices (via another integrated circuit buffer device on the second module) on a third signal path coupled to the master device.