IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,386,937
Granted Patent B2
US 11,386,937 · App. 16/600,483 · Granted Jul 12, 2022

System device and method for providing single port memory access in bitcell array by tracking dummy wordline

Inventors: Lalit Gupta (Cupertino, CA); Nicolaas Klarinus Johannes Van Winkelhoff (Roquefort-les-pins, FR); Bo Zheng (Cupertino, CA); El Mehdi Boujamaa (Valbonne, FR); Fakhruddin Ali Bohra (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Arm Limited
G11C7/1015G11C11/1653G11C11/1659G11C11/1673G11C11/1675G11C11/1693G11C11/418G11C11/419
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,386,937
App. No.
16/600,483
Granted
Jul 12, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various implementations described herein refer to a method for providing single port memory with a bitcell array arranged in columns and rows. The method may include coupling a wordline to the single port memory including coupling the wordline to the columns of the bitcell array. The method may include performing multiple memory access operations concurrently in the single port memory including performing a read operation in one column of the bitcell array using the wordline while performing a write operation in another column of the bitcell array using the wordline, or performing a write operation in one column of the bitcell array using the wordline while performing a read operation in another column of the bitcell array using the same wordline.

Claims (48)

1. A method, comprising:

providing single port memory with a bitcell array arranged in columns and rows;

coupling a wordline to the single port memory including coupling the wordline to the columns of the bitcell array;

performing multiple memory access operations concurrently in the single port memory including performing a read operation in one column of the bitcell array using the wordline while performing a write operation in another column of the bitcell array using the wordline, or performing a write operation in one column of the bitcell array using the wordline while performing a read operation in another column of the bitcell array using the same wordline; and

tracking a dummy wordline having fixed delays coupled along a self-timed path of the dummy wordline.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein different memory addresses are used to perform the multiple memory access operations concurrently in the bitcell array of the single port memory, and wherein the different memory addresses refer to a write column address and a read column address that is different than the write column address.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the read operation is performed in the bitcell array with a read column address while the write operation is performed concurrently in the same bitcell array with a write column address.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the write operation is performed in the bitcell array with a write column address while the read operation is performed concurrently in the bitcell array with a read column address.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the single port memory has a column multiplexer coupled to the bitcell array for accessing bitcells in the bitcell array in combination with the wordline.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

wherein the fixed delays affect timing of a write clock signal provided to the column multiplexer.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

controlling pulse width of the write clock signal based on using the fixed delays in the self-timed path of the dummy wordline.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein controlling the pulse width of the write clock signal refers to modulating the pulse width of the write clock signal so as to increase a write error rate without impacting the read operation.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein outputs of the fixed delays are provided as inputs to a write multiplexer select clock that selectively provides a reset signal based on a selection signal, and wherein logic gates are arranged to receive the reset signal, receive a global timing pulse signal, receive a global write enable signal, and provide the write clock signal to the column multiplexer.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the single port memory refers to static random access memory (SRAM) or magneto-resistive RAM (MRAM), and wherein the bitcell array includes SRAM bitcells or MRAM bitcells.

11. A device, comprising:

single port memory architecture having a bitcell array;

multiple wordlines coupled to multiple columns of the bitcell array; and

logic circuitry that performs multiple memory access operations concurrently in the single port memory architecture including performing a read operation in one column of the bitcell array using one wordline of the multiple wordlines while performing a write operation at the same time in another column of the bitcell array using another wordline of the multiple wordlines, or performing a write operation in one column of the bitcell array using one wordline of the multiple wordlines while performing a read operation at the same time in another column of the bitcell array using another wordline of the multiple wordlines;

wherein the logic circuitry tracks a dummy wordline having fixed delays coupled along a self-timed path of the dummy wordline.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein:

the multiple wordlines comprise dual wordlines,

different memory addresses are used to perform the multiple memory access operations concurrently in the bitcell array of the single port memory, and

the different memory addresses refer to a write column address and a read column address that is different than the write column address.

13. The device of claim 11 , further comprising:

a column multiplexer coupled to the bitcell array for accessing bitcells in the bitcell array in combination with the wordline,

wherein the fixed delays affect timing of a write clock signal provided to the column multiplexer.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein:

the logic circuitry controls pulse width of the write clock signal based on using the fixed delays in the self-timed path of the dummy wordline, and

the logic circuitry modulates the pulse width of the write clock signal to increase a write error rate without impacting the read operation.

15. The device of claim 14 , further comprising:

a write clock multiplexer and logic gates coupled between the self-timed path of the dummy wordline and the column multiplexer,

wherein outputs of the fixed delays are provided as inputs to the write clock multiplexer that selectively provides a reset signal based on a selection signal, and

wherein logic gates are arranged to receive the reset signal, receive a global timing pulse signal, receive a global write enable signal, and provide the write clock signal to the column multiplexer.

16. The device of claim 11 , wherein the single port memory architecture refers to static random access memory (SRAM) or magneto-resistive RAM (MRAM), and wherein the bitcell array includes SRAM bitcells or MRAM bitcells.

17. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

memory having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

access single port memory having a bitcell array;

access dual wordlines of the single port memory including accessing columns of the bitcell array with the dual wordlines;

perform multiple memory access operations concurrently in the single port memory including performing a read operation in one column of the bitcell array using a first wordline of the dual wordlines while performing a write operation in another column of the bitcell array using a second wordline of the dual wordlines, or performing a write operation in one column of the bitcell array using the first wordline of the dual wordlines while performing a read operation in another column of the bitcell array using the second wordline of the dual wordlines; and

track a dummy wordline having fixed delays coupled along a self-timed path of the dummy wordline.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the fixed delays affect timing of a write clock signal provided to a column multiplexer coupled to the bitcell array for accessing bitcells in the bitcell array in combination with the wordline.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to:

control pulse width of the write clock signal based on using the fixed delays in the self-timed path of the dummy wordline, and

modulate the pulse width of the write clock signal so as to increase a write error rate without impacting the read operation.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the single port memory refers to static random access memory (SRAM) or magneto-resistive RAM (MRAM), and wherein the first bitcell array and the second bitcell array include SRAM bitcells or MRAM bitcells.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 12, 2019
From: GUPTA, LALIT; VAN WINKELHOFF, NICOLAAS KLARINUS JOHANNES; ZHENG, BO; BOUJAMAA, EL MEHDI; BOHRA, FAKHRUDDIN ALI
To: ARM LIMITED
Reel/Frame 051986/0120 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210110853A1 · Apr 15, 2021