Memory card and memory controller
View Patent ↗A memory card has a plurality of non-volatile memories and a main controller for controlling the operation of the non-volatile memories. The main controller performs an access control to the non-volatile memories in response to an external access instruction, and an alternate control for alternating an access error-related storage area of the non-volatile memory with other storage area. In the access control, the speeding up of the data transfer between flash memories is achieved by causing the plurality of non-volatile memories to parallel access operate. In the alternation control, the storage areas is made alternative for each non-volatile memory in which an access error occurs.
1. A memory card having first and second non-volatile memories and a memory controller for controlling operation of said first and second non-volatile memories, wherein
said memory controller allocates said first and second non-volatile memories to storage areas of even and odd data of sector data, respectively;
each of said first and second non-volatile memories has a plurality of sectors, a first sector of which stores management information used for performing an alternation control thereon, said alternation control being performed individually for each of said first and second non-volatile memories;
said memory controller causes said first and second non-volatile memories to operate for parallel access in an access control of said first and second non-volatile memories in response to an external access instruction; and
said memory controller substitutes a storage area of the access error-related non-volatile memory with another storage area in said alternation control of said first and second non-volatile memories, and issues addresses, of which a first address is for a first non-volatile memory and a second address is for a second non-volatile memory,
wherein said memory controller controls issuing addresses, such that said first address and said second address indicate same location sectors, when both of said sector of said first non-volatile memory indicated by said first address and said sector of said second non-volatile memory indicated by said second address do not include an error memory cell,
wherein said memory controller controls issuing addresses, such that said first address and said second address indicate different location sectors, when said sector of said first non-volatile memory does not include an error memory cell and a sector of said second non-volatile memory on same location of said sector of said first non-volatile memory indicated by said first address includes an error memory cell, and
further comprising buses for connecting respective non-volatile memories to said memory controller so that said respective non-volatile memories are separately access-controlled.
2. A memory card having first and second non-volatile memories and a memory controller for controlling operation of said first and second non-volatile memories, wherein
said memory controller allocates said first and second non-volatile memories to storage areas of even and odd data of sector data, respectively;
each of said first and second non-volatile memories has a plurality of sectors, a first sector of which stores management information used for performing an alternation control thereon, said alternation control being performed individually for each of said first and second non-volatile memories;
said memory controller causes said first and second non-volatile memories to operate for parallel access in an access control of said first and second non-volatile memories in response to an external access instruction; and
said memory controller substitutes a storage area of the access error-related non-volatile memory with another storage area in said alternation control of said first and second non-volatile memories, and issues addresses, of which a first address is for a first non-volatile memory and a second address is for a second non-volatile memory,
wherein said memory controller controls issuing addresses, such that said first address and said second address indicate same location sectors, when both of said sector of said first non-volatile memory indicated by said first address and said sector of said second non-volatile memory indicated by said second address do not include an error memory cell,
wherein said memory controller controls issuing addresses, such that said first address and said second address indicate different location sectors, when said sector of said first non-volatile memory does not include an error memory cell and a sector of said second non-volatile memory on same location of said sector of said first non-volatile memory indicated by said first address includes an error memory cell,
wherein said memory controller includes an ECC circuit for adding an error detection code to write-data written into said non-volatile memories to conduct an error detection and correction for read-data from said non-volatile memories, and
wherein said ECC circuit conducts an input/output operation at an operation frequency which is equal to an input/output operation frequency of said parallel access operated non-volatile memories multiplied by a number of the parallel access operations.
3. A memory card having first and second non-volatile memories and a memory controller for controlling operation of said first and second non-volatile memories, wherein
said memory controller allocates said first and second non-volatile memories to storage areas of even and odd data of sector data, respectively;
each of said first and second non-volatile memories has a plurality of sectors, a first sector of which stores management information used for performing an alternation control thereon, said alternation control being performed individually for each of said first and second non-volatile memories;
said memory controller causes said first and second non-volatile memories to operate for parallel access in an access control of said first and second non-volatile memories in response to an external access instruction; and
said memory controller substitutes a storage area of the access error-related non-volatile memory with another storage area in said alternation control of said first and second non-volatile memories, and issues addresses, of which a first address is for a first non-volatile memory and a second address is for a second non-volatile memory,
wherein said memory controller controls issuing addresses, such that said first address and said second address indicate same location sectors, when both of said sector of said first non-volatile memory indicated by said first address and said sector of said second non-volatile memory indicated by said second address do not include an error memory cell,
wherein said memory controller controls issuing addresses, such that said first address and said second address indicate different location sectors, when said sector of said first non-volatile memory does not include an error memory cell and a sector of said second non-volatile memory on same location of said sector of said first non-volatile memory indicated by said first address includes an error memory cell,
wherein said memory controller includes one or more ECC circuits which add an error detection code to write-data written into said non-volatile memories and conduct an error detection and correction for read-data from said non-volatile memories, said one or more ECC circuits being as many as the number of the parallel access operations, and
wherein said one or more ECC circuits perform input/output operations in a parallel manner at an operation frequency which is equal to the input/output operation frequency of said parallel access operated non-volatile memories.