Bridge device architecture for connecting discrete memory devices to a system
View Patent ↗A composite memory device including discrete memory devices and a bridge device for controlling the discrete memory devices in response to global memory control signals having a format or protocol that is incompatible with the memory devices. The discrete memory devices can be commercial off-the-shelf memory devices or custom memory devices which respond to native, or local memory control signals. The global and local memory control signals include commands and command signals each having different formats. The composite memory device includes a system in package including the semiconductor dies of the discrete memory devices and the bridge device, or can include a printed circuit board having packaged discrete memory devices and a packaged bridge device mounted thereto.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a host system comprising a processing device;
a memory controller operable to communicate with the host system;
a plurality of composite memory devices operable to communicate with the memory controller, each composite memory device operable to be assigned a unique global device address, each composite memory device comprising:
a bridge device operable to receive a global command comprising global memory control signals having a first format, the bridge device operable to convert the global memory control signals into local memory control signals having a second format; and
a plurality of discrete memory devices each operable to execute one or more memory operations in response to reception of the local memory control signals.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the unique global device addresses of the composite memory devices are assigned automatically using an address assignment scheme during a power up phase of the apparatus.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the unique global device address of a composite memory device of the plurality of composite memory devices is stored in a device address register of a bridge device of the composite memory device.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a composite memory device of the plurality of composite memory devices is operable to convert the global memory control signals into the local memory control signals in response to a determination that the global command specifies a global device address that corresponds to the unique global device address of the composite memory device.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the bridge device of the composite memory device is operable to transmit the local memory control signals to a discrete memory device of the composite memory device in response to a determination that the discrete memory device has a local device address that corresponds to a local device address specified by the global command.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a composite memory device of the plurality of discrete memory devices includes DRAM and flash memory.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bridge device of a composite memory device of the plurality of composite memory devices is wirelessly coupled to a discrete memory device of the composite memory device.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a composite memory device of the plurality of composite memory devices comprises a data buffer operable to store read data from the discrete memory devices of the composite memory device or write data received from an interface of the bridge device of the composite memory device.
9. A composite memory device operable to communicate with a memory controller, the composite memory device operable to be assigned a unique global device address, the composite memory device comprising:
a bridge device operable to receive a global command comprising global memory control signals having a first format, the bridge device operable to convert the global memory control signals into local memory control signals having a second format; and
a plurality of discrete memory devices each operable to execute one or more memory operations in response to reception of the local memory control signals.
10. The composite memory device of claim 9 , wherein the unique global device addresses of the composite memory device is assigned automatically using an address assignment scheme during a power up phase.
11. The composite memory device of claim 9 , wherein the unique global device address of the composite memory device is stored in a device address register of the bridge device.
12. The composite memory device of claim 9 , wherein the composite memory device is operable to convert the global memory control signals into the local memory control signals in response to a determination that the global command specifies a global device address that corresponds to the unique global device address of the composite memory device.
13. The composite memory device of claim 12 , wherein the bridge device is operable to transmit the local memory control signals to a discrete memory device of the plurality of discrete memory devices in response to a determination that the discrete memory device has a local device address that corresponds to a local device address specified by the global command.
14. The composite memory device of claim 9 , wherein the composite memory device includes DRAM and flash memory.
15. The composite memory device of claim 9 , further comprising a data buffer operable to store read data from the discrete memory devices of the composite memory device or write data received from an interface of the bridge device of the composite memory device.
16. The composite memory device of claim 9 , wherein the bridge device is wirelessly coupled to a discrete memory device of the plurality of discrete memory devices.