Memory module interfaces
View Patent ↗The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to memory module interfaces. A memory module, which may include volatile memory or nonvolatile memory, or both, may be configured to communicate with a host device via one interface and to communicate with another memory module using a different interface. Memory modules may thus be added or removed from a system without impacting a PCB-based bus to the host, and memory modules may communicate with one another without accessing a bus to the host. The host interface may be configured according to one protocol or standard, and other interfaces between memory modules may be configured according to other protocols or standards.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a first memory module that comprises one or more types of memory media;
a first interface coupled to the first memory module and couplable to a host, wherein the first interface is configured to transfer data or commands, or both, between the first memory module via a first bus located on a printed circuitry board (PCB); and
a second interface coupled to the first memory module and couplable to a second memory module, wherein the second interface is configured to transfer data or commands, or both, between the first memory module and the second memory module via a second bus that is located off the PCB.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first memory module comprises a DRAM array.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first memory module comprises a non-volatile memory array.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the non-volatile memory array comprises NAND.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first interface is configured to transfer data or commands, or both, between the first memory module and the host according to a first protocol.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second interface is configured to transfer data or commands, or both, between the first memory module and the second memory module according to a second protocol.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second interface is configured to transfer data or commands, or both, between the first memory module and the second memory module according to a second protocol in response to the first memory module receiving commands from the host according to a first protocol.
8. A system, comprising:
a first memory module with a first interface and a second interface, wherein comprises the first memory module includes one or more types of memory media;
a host including a third interface, wherein the host is coupled to the first memory module via the first interface, the third interface, and a first bus and wherein the first bus is located on a printed circuitry board (PCB); and
a second memory module including a fourth interface, wherein the second memory module is coupled to the first memory module via the second interface, the fourth interface, and a second bus, and wherein the second bus is located off the PCB.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the system is configured to transfer data between the host and the first memory module via the first interface, the third interface, and the first bus according to a first protocol.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the system is configured to transfer data between the first memory module and the second memory module via the second interface, the fourth interface, and the second bus according to a second protocol.
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the system is configured to transfer data between the host and the first memory module via the first interface, the third interface, and the first bus while transferring data between the first memory module and the second memory module via the second interface, the fourth interface, and the second bus.
12. The system of claim 8 , further comprising the second memory module including a fifth interface and a third memory module including a sixth interface, wherein the second memory module is coupled to the third memory module via the fifth interface, the sixth interface, and a third bus.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the system is configured to transfer between the second memory module and the third memory module via the fifth interface, the sixth interface, and the third bus.
14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first memory module is configured to execute commands from the host to transfer data between the first memory module, the second memory module, and the host.
15. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first memory module includes a DRAM memory array and the second memory module includes a non-volatile memory array.
16. A method, comprising:
transferring a first portion of data between a host and a first memory module via a first interface, a second interface, and a first bus, wherein the first memory module includes one or more types of memory media, and wherein the first bus is located on a printed circuitry board (PCB); and
transferring a second portion of data between the first memory module and a second memory module via a third interface, a fourth interface, and a second bus, wherein the second bus is located off the PCB.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein transferring the first portion of data includes executing commands from the host according to a first protocol.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein transferring the second portion of data includes executing commands from the first memory module according to a second protocol in response to the first memory module receiving commands from the host according to a first protocol.
19. The method of claim 18 , further including transferring the second portion of data from the first memory module to the host.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein transferring the second portion of data from the first memory module to the host includes executing the commands from the host according to the first protocol.