Apparatus and method for producing device identifiers for serially interconnected devices of mixed type
View Patent ↗A plurality of memory devices of mixed type (e.g., DRAMs, SRAMs, MRAMs, and NAND-, NOR- and AND-type Flash memories) are serially interconnected. Each device has device type information on its device type. A specific device type (DT) and a device identifier (ID) contained in a serial input (SI) as a packet are fed to one device of the serial interconnection. The device determines whether the fed DT matches the DT of the device. In a case of match, a calculator included in the device performs calculation to generate an ID for another device and the fed ID is latched in a register of the device. In a case of no-match, the ID generation is skipped and no ID is generated for another device. The DT is combined with the generated or the received ID depending on the device type match determination. The combined DT and ID is as a packet transferred to a next device. Such a device type match determination and ID generation or skip are performed in all devices of the serial interconnection. With reference to device type provided to the interconnected devices, IDs are sequentially generated. The SI containing the DT, the ID and an ID generation command is transmitted in a packet basis to a next device.
1. A device controller, in a device, for assigning a device identifier to the device, the device being one of a plurality of devices connected in a serial interconnection configuration, the plurality of devices being of mixed type, each of the plurality of devices having a serial input connection coupled to a serial output connection of a previous device in the serial interconnection configuration, and a serial output connection coupled to serial input connection of a subsequent device in the serial interconnection configuration, the device controller comprising:
a receiver for receiving the device identifier (ID) and a device type (DT), the received ID and the received DT being provided through the serial input connection of the device;
a determiner for determining a DT of the device in view of the received DT to provide a determination result;
an ID provider for outputting an outputted ID in accordance with the determination result; and
an output provider for providing the outputted ID to accompany the received DT to the subsequent device.
2. The device controller of claim 1 , wherein the ID provider comprises:
an arithmetic operator for performing arithmetic operation with the received ID and a pre-defined value to produce a produced ID.
3. The device controller of claim 2 , further comprising:
a device type provider for providing device type information (DTI) associated with the device.
4. The device controller of claim 3 , wherein the determiner comprises:
a comparator for comparing the received DT with the provided DTI to provide the determination result.
5. The device controller of claim 4 , wherein the ID provider further comprises:
a selector for selecting the received ID or the produced ID in response to the determination result, the selected ID being provided as the outputted ID.
6. The device controller of claim 5 , wherein the receiver comprises:
a serial to parallel holder for:
receiving the received ID and the received DT in a serial manner; and
outputting each of the received ID and the received DT in a parallel manner,
the received ID being provided to the arithmetic operator and the selector.
7. The device controller of claim 6 , wherein the device type provider comprises:
a storage for storing the DTI on the type of the device and providing the DTI for the determination.
8. The device controller of claim 7 , wherein the output provider comprises:
a combiner for combining the received DT and the selected ID; and
a device type-ID provider for outputting the combined DT and ID.
9. The device controller of claim 8 , wherein the combiner comprises:
a parallel to serial holder for:
receiving the received DT and the received ID in a parallel manner; and
outputting the parallel received DT and ID in a serial manner; and
an output combiner for combining the serially output DT and ID, the combined DT and ID being provided through the serial output connection of the device.
10. The device controller of claim 8 , wherein the combiner comprises:
a data combiner for combining an ID production command, the selected ID and the received DT.
11. The device controller of claim 1 , wherein the arithmetic operator comprises:
an adder for adding the pre-defined value to the received ID.
12. The device controller of claim 1 , wherein the arithmetic operator comprises:
a subtractor for subtracting the pre-defined value to the received ID.
13. A method for assigning a device identifier (ID) to a device, the device being one of a plurality of devices connected in a serial interconnection configuration, the plurality of devices being of mixed type, each of the plurality of devices having a serial input connection coupled to a serial output connection of a previous device, and a serial output connection coupled to a serial input connection of a subsequent device in the serial interconnection configuration, the method comprising:
receiving an input ID and a received device type (DT) through the serial input connection of the device;
determining a DT of the device in view of the received DT to provide a determination result;
outputting an output ID in response to the determination result; and
providing a combination of the received DT and the output ID as a serial output.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of determining comprises:
match determining whether the received DT matches a reference DT associated with the device.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
providing device type information (DTI) associated with the device as the reference DT.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of match determining comprises:
comparing the input DT with the provided DTI to provide the determination result.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of outputting comprises:
performing an arithmetic calculation of the input ID with a pre-defined value to provided a calculated ID.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of outputting further comprises:
selecting one of the input ID and the calculated ID in response to the determination result, the selected ID being outputted through the serial output connection of the device as the output ID.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the step of providing the combination of the received DT and the output ID comprises:
combining the received DT and the selected ID; and
outputting the combined DT and ID to the subsequent device.
20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
assigning the calculated ID for registration in the device.
21. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
assigning the input ID for registration in the device.
22. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of providing the combination of the received DT and the output ID comprises:
combining the received DT and the output ID in a serial manner to provide a combined serial DT and ID, the combined serial ID and DT being provided through the serial output connection of the device.
23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
combining an ID production command, the received DT and the output ID; and
sending the combined command, DT and ID in a packet to the subsequent device.
24. The method of claim 13 , wherein the step of receiving comprises:
receiving an ID production command, the received DT and the input ID in a packet.
25. A method for assigning a device identifier (ID) to a device, the device being one of a plurality of devices connected in a serial interconnection configuration, the plurality of devices being of mixed type, each of the plurality of devices having a serial input connection coupled to a serial output connection of a previous device, and a serial output connection coupled to a serial input connection of a subsequent device in the serial interconnection configuration, the method comprising:
receiving a device type (DT) and an input ID through the serial input connection;
holding the received DT at the device;
determining whether the received DT matches a reference DT associated with the device to provide a determination result;
obtaining one of a calculated ID or a non-calculated ID in response to the determination result;
combining the received DT with the one of the calculated or the non-calculated ID;
providing the combined DT and ID through the serial output connection of the device; and
performing an ID assignment at the device in response to the determination result.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein providing the combined DT and ID comprises:
providing the combined ID and DT in a serial manner through the serial output connection to the subsequent device.
27. The method of claim 26 , further comprising:
providing an ID production command, and the combined DT and ID in a packet to the subsequent device.
28. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:
adjusting an output latency for avoiding overlap between the steps of receiving and providing.