Memory device controlling including reading from a first memory and writing to a second memory based on timing and control signals
According one embodiment, a memory device controlling method includes: receiving, by a first semiconductor memory, a read command transmitted from a controller; receiving, by a second semiconductor memory, a write command transmitted from the controller; reading, by the first semiconductor, data from the first semiconductor memory based on the read command, and transmitting, from the first semiconductor memory to the second semiconductor memory, the data and a control signal indicating that the data is output; and receiving, by the second semiconductor memory, the data at a timing based on the control signal transmitted from the first semiconductor memory without intermediation of the controller based on the write command and writing the received data into the second semiconductor memory.
1. A method for controlling a memory system,
the memory system comprising:
a controller;
a first semiconductor memory including:
a first terminal,
a second terminal,
a third terminal and
a fourth terminal; and
a second semiconductor memory including:
a fifth terminal,
a sixth terminal,
a seventh terminal and
an eighth terminal,
the fifth terminal being connected with the first terminal via a first line,
the sixth terminal being connected with the second terminal via a second line
the seventh terminal being connected with the third terminal via a third line,
the eighth terminal being connected with the fourth terminal via a fourth line,
the method comprising:
receiving, by the first semiconductor memory, a read command transmitted from the controller along with a write enable signal, the read command being received at the first terminal, the write enable signal being received at the third terminal;
after receiving the read command by the first semiconductor memory, receiving, by the second semiconductor memory, a write command transmitted from the controller along with the write enable signal, the write command being received at the fifth terminal, the write enable signal being received at the seventh terminal;
after receiving the write command by the second semiconductor memory subsequent to receiving the read command by the first semiconductor memory,
performing, by the first semiconductor memory, a read operation to read data specified by the read command from the first semiconductor memory along with a read enable signal transmitted from the controller, the read enable signal being received at the fourth terminal, and after the data have been read, transmitting the read data along with a data strobe signal, the data being transmitted from the first terminal to the fifth terminal via the first line, the data strobe signal being transmitted from the second terminal to the sixth terminal via the second line; and
receiving, by the second semiconductor memory, the data transmitted from the first semiconductor memory along with the data strobe signal, the data being received at the fifth terminal, the data strobe signal being received at the sixth terminal and after the data have been received, performing a write operation to write the received data into the second semiconductor memory,
wherein a clock frequency of the data strobe signal is substantially same as a data transfer rate of the data when the first semiconductor memory transfers the data as a result of the read operation to the second semiconductor memory along with the data strobe signal.
2. The method for controlling a memory system according to claim 1 , wherein
transmitting the data from the first semiconductor memory and receiving the data at the second semiconductor memory are performed based on a SDR (Single Data Rate).
3. The method for controlling a memory system according to claim 1 , wherein
transmitting the data from the first semiconductor memory and receiving the data at the second semiconductor memory are performed based on a DDR (Double Data Rate),
the first semiconductor memory includes a phase conversion circuit, and
when transmitting from the first semiconductor memory the data and the control signal indicating that the data is output, the control signal whose phase is converted relative to a phase of the data by the phase conversion circuit is transmitted.
4. The method for controlling a memory system according to claim 1 , wherein
transmitting the data from the first semiconductor memory and receiving the data at the second semiconductor memory are performed based on a DDR (Double Data Rate),
the second semiconductor memory includes a phase conversion circuit,
when transmitting from the first semiconductor memory the data and the control signal indicating that the data is output, a phase of the data and a phase of the control signal are aligned for transmission, and
when receiving at the second semiconductor memory the data at the timing based on the control signal, phases of edges of the received data and the control signal are converted by the phase conversion circuit.
5. The method for controlling a memory system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the controller including an ECC circuit, the data outputted from the first semiconductor memory;
when detecting an error in the received data, correcting the error using the ECC circuit; and
transmitting, by the controller, data in which the error is corrected, from the controller to the second semiconductor memory.
6. The method for controlling a memory system according to claim 1 , wherein
the first and second semiconductor memories receive a first command for directly transferring the data from the first semiconductor memory to the second semiconductor memory from the controller before receiving the read command and the write command.
7. The method for controlling a memory system according to claim 1 , wherein
the first semiconductor memory receives a second command including a chip address of a memory from which the data is to be read before receiving the read command and a read address subsequently to the read command, and the first semiconductor memory is selected based on the second command, and
the second semiconductor memory receives a third command including a chip address of a memory into which the data is to be written before receiving the write command and a write address subsequently to the write command, and the second semiconductor memory is selected based on the third command.
8. A method for controlling a memory system,
the memory system comprising:
a controller;
a first semiconductor memory including:
a first terminal,
a second terminal,
a third terminal and
a fourth terminal; and
a second semiconductor memory including:
a fifth terminal,
a sixth terminal,
a seventh terminal and
an eighth terminal,
the fifth terminal being connected with the first terminal via a first line,
the sixth terminal being connected with the second terminal via a second line
the seventh terminal being connected with the third terminal via a third line,
the eighth terminal being connected with the fourth tell final via a fourth line,
the method comprising:
a first semiconductor memory controlled by a controller, the first semiconductor memory including a first terminal and a second terminal; and
a second semiconductor memory controlled by the controller, the second semiconductor memory including a third terminal and a fourth terminal, the third terminal being connected with the first terminal via a first line, the fourth terminal being connected with the second terminal via a second line,
wherein the first semiconductor memory receives a read command transmitted from the controller,
after receiving the read command by the first semiconductor memory, receiving by the second semiconductor memory a write command transmitted from the controller along with the write enable signal, the write command being received at the fifth terminal, the write enable signal being received at the seventh terminal;
after receiving the write command by the second semiconductor memory subsequent to receiving the read command by the first semiconductor memory,
performing, by the first semiconductor memory, a read operation to read data specified by the read command from the first semiconductor memory along with a read enable signal transmitted from the controller, the read enable signal being received at the fourth terminal, and after the data have been read, transmitting the read data along with a data strobe signal the data being transmitted from the first terminal to the fifth terminal via the first line, the data strobe signal being transmitted from the second terminal to the sixth terminal via the second line; and
receiving, by the second semiconductor memory, the data transmitted from the first semiconductor memory along with the data strobe signal, the data being received at the fifth terminal, the data strobe signal being received at the sixth terminal, and after the data have been received, performing a write operation to write the received data into the second semiconductor memory,
wherein a clock frequency of the data strobe signal is substantially same as a data transfer rate of the data when the first semiconductor memory transfers the data as a result of the read operation to the second semiconductor memory along with the data strobe signal.
9. The method for controlling a memory system according to claim 8 , wherein
transmitting the data from the first semiconductor memory and receiving the data at the second semiconductor memory are performed based on a SDR (Single Data Rate).
10. The method for controlling a memory system according to claim 8 , wherein
transmitting the data from the first semiconductor memory and receiving the data at the second semiconductor memory are performed based on a DDR (Double Data Rate),
the first semiconductor memory includes a phase conversion circuit,
when transmitting the data, the first semiconductor memory transmits the control signal whose phase is converted relative to a phase of the data by the phase conversion circuit.
11. The method for controlling a memory system according to claim 8 , wherein
transmitting the data from the first semiconductor memory and receiving the data at the second semiconductor memory are performed based on a Double Data Rate (DDR),
the second semiconductor memory includes a phase conversion circuit,
the first semiconductor memory aligns a phase of the data with a phase of the control signal for transmission, and
the second semiconductor memory converts phases of edges of the received data and the control signal by the phase conversion circuit.
12. The method for controlling a memory system according to claim 8 , wherein
the controller including an ECC circuit receives the data transmitted from the first semiconductor memory,
when an error is detected in the received data at the controller, the ECC circuit corrects the error; and
the second semiconductor memory receives a data in which the error is corrected from the controller.
13. The method for controlling a memory system according to claim 8 , wherein
the first and second semiconductor memories receive a first command for directly transferring the data from the first semiconductor memory to the second semiconductor memory from the controller before receiving the read command and the write command.
14. The method for controlling a memory system according to claim 8 , wherein
the first semiconductor memory receives a second command including a chip address of a memory from which the data is to be read before receiving the read command and a read address subsequently to the read command, and the first semiconductor memory is selected based on the second command, and
the second semiconductor memory receives a third command including a chip address of a memory into which the data is to be written before receiving the write command and a write address subsequently to the write command, and the second semiconductor memory is selected based on the third command.
15. The method for controlling a memory system controlling method according to claim 1 , wherein the read command includes:
a first read command;
a first address; and
a second read command.
16. The method for controlling a memory system controlling method according to claim 1 , wherein the write command includes:
a first write command;
a second address; and
a second write command.
17. The method for controlling a memory system according to claim 8 , wherein the read command includes:
a first read command;
a first address; and
a second read command.
18. The method for controlling a memory system according to claim 8 , wherein the write command includes:
a first write command;
a second address; and
a second write command.
19. The method for controlling a memory system according to claim 1 , wherein the first semiconductor memory and the second semiconductor memory are stacked one on top each other and have edges that are displaced from each other by a predetermined distance.
20. The method for controlling a memory system according to claim 8 , wherein the first semiconductor memory and the second semiconductor memory are stacked one on top each other and have edges that are displaced from each other by a predetermined distance.