IP Library Granted Patent US 9,921,757
Granted Patent B1
US 9,921,757 · App. 15/087,948 · Granted Mar 20, 2018

Using an FPGA for integration with low-latency, non-volatile memory

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,921,757
App. No.
15/087,948
Granted
Mar 20, 2018
Kind
B1
Abstract

A plurality of programmable logic blocks are programmed in a first configuration to perform one or both of an access function and a management function with respect to a plurality of non-volatile memory modules. A high data transfer rate connection is provided to an external random access memory device, wherein said at least a subset of said programmable logic blocks are programmed in said first configuration to perform one or both of said access function and said management function at least in part using data sent via a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is coupled to at least a subset of said programmable logic blocks.

Claims (30)

1. A field programmable gate array device comprising:

a plurality of programmable logic blocks programmed in a first configuration to perform one or both of an access function and a management function with respect to a plurality of non-volatile memory modules; and

a communication interface coupled to at least a subset of said programmable logic blocks and configured to provide a high data transfer rate connection to an external random access memory device, wherein said at least a subset of said programmable logic blocks are programmed in said first configuration to perform one or both of said access function and said management function at least in part using data sent via said communication interface,

wherein the plurality of programmable logic blocks as configured in the first configuration implement a first algorithm to perform one or both of said access function and said management function and are further configured to be reprogrammed in place to be configured in a second configuration, instead of the first configuration, wherein the second configuration implements a second algorithm that replaces the first algorithm, and

wherein the second algorithm comprises a new settling time cache characteristic.

2. The field programmable gate array device of claim 1 , wherein the first configuration is to perform a plurality of access functions and a plurality of management functions in parallel.

3. The field programmable gate array device of claim 1 , wherein the communication interface is DDR4.

4. The field programmable gate array device of claim 3 , wherein a second communication interface to the plurality of non-volatile memory modules is DDR4.

5. The field programmable gate array device of claim 1 , wherein the external random access memory device is SDRAM.

6. The field programmable gate array device of claim 5 , wherein the external random access memory device is a settling time cache on SDRAM.

7. The field programmable gate array device of claim 1 , wherein the management function is at least one of the following: forward error correction, ECC, wear leveling, and tile replacement.

8. The field programmable gate array device of claim 1 , wherein the first algorithm comprises a first parameter value for a particular algorithm and the second algorithm comprises a second parameter value for the particular algorithm.

9. The field programmable gate array device of claim 1 , wherein the second algorithm comprises a new wear leveling algorithm.

10. The field programmable gate array device of claim 1 , wherein the second algorithm comprises a new cache size.

11. The field programmable gate array device of claim 1 , wherein the second algorithm comprises a new caching algorithm.

12. The field programmable gate array device of claim 1 , wherein the second algorithm comprises a new ECC characteristic.

13. The field programmable gate array device of claim 1 , wherein the second algorithm comprises a new start gap implementation.

14. The field programmable gate array device of claim 1 , wherein the second algorithm comprises a new non-volatile memory interface protocol.

15. The field programmable gate array device of claim 1 , wherein the second algorithm comprises a parameter based on a new physical insight for a technology associated with the plurality of non-volatile memory modules.

16. The field programmable gate array device of claim 15 , wherein the technology is a fully bit-addressable non-volatile memory.

17. A method, comprising:

programming a plurality of programmable logic blocks in a first configuration to perform one or both of an access function and a management function with respect to a plurality of non-volatile memory modules; and

providing a high data transfer rate connection to an external random access memory device, wherein said at least a subset of said programmable logic blocks are programmed in said first configuration to perform one or both of said access function and said management function at least in part using data sent via a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is coupled to at least a subset of said programmable logic blocks,

wherein the plurality of programmable logic blocks as configured in the first configuration implement a first algorithm to perform one or both of said access function and said management function and are further configured to be reprogrammed in place to be configured in a second configuration, instead of the first configuration, wherein the second configuration implements a second algorithm that replaces the first algorithm, and

wherein the second algorithm comprises a new settling time cache characteristic.

18. A computer program product, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

programming a plurality of programmable logic blocks in a first configuration to perform one or both of an access function and a management function with respect to a plurality of non-volatile memory modules; and

providing a high data transfer rate connection to an external random access memory device, wherein said at least a subset of said programmable logic blocks are programmed in said first configuration to perform one or both of said access function and said management function at least in part using data sent via a communication interface, wherein the communication interface is coupled to at least a subset of said programmable logic blocks,

wherein the plurality of programmable logic blocks as configured in the first configuration implement a first algorithm to perform one or both of said access function and said management function and are further configured to be reprogrammed in place to be configured in a second configuration, instead of the first configuration, wherein the second configuration implements a second algorithm that replaces the first algorithm, and

wherein the second algorithm comprises a new settling time cache characteristic.

Assignments (9)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (046366/0014) Recorded May 20, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060450/0306 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 046286 FRAME 0653 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058298/0093 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049452/0223 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Jun 1, 2018
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 046366/0014 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (CREDIT) Recorded Jun 1, 2018
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 046286/0653 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2017
From: EMC CORPORATION
To: EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 041872/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 21, 2016
From: ROWETT, KEVIN
To: EMC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 038972/0452 →