IP Library Granted Patent US 8,750,061
Granted Patent B2
US 8,750,061 · App. 13/235,162 · Granted Jun 10, 2014

Memory system, memory test system and method of testing memory system and memory test system

Inventors: Soo-Haeng Cho (Suwon-si, KR); Ki-jae Song (Paju-si, KR); Sung-dong Suh (Seoul, KR); Kyoung-ho Ha (Seoul, KR); Seong-gu Kim (Pyeongtaek-si, KR); Yeoung-kum Kim (Gochang-gun, KR); In-sung Joe (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,750,061
App. No.
13/235,162
Granted
Jun 10, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A memory test system is disclosed. The memory system includes a memory device, a tester generating a clock signal and a test signal for testing the memory device, and an optical splitting module. The optical splitting module comprises an electrical-optical signal converting unit which converts each of the clock signal and the test signal into an optical signal to output the clock signal and the test signal as an optical clock signal and an optical test signal. The optical splitting unit further comprises an optical signal splitting unit which splits each of the optical clock signal and the optical test signal into n signals (n being at least two), and an optical-electrical signal converting unit which receives the split optical clock signal and the split optical test signal to convert the split optical clock signal and the split optical test signal into electrical signals used in the memory device.

Claims (128)

1. A computer system comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU);

a board;

at least a first memory chip and a second memory chip mounted on the board;

an electrical-optical signal converting unit configured to:

receive a plurality of electrical signals from the CPU including at least a clock signal, control signals, and data signals, and

convert each of the clock signal, the control signals, and the data signals into respective optical signals, and output the clock signal, the control signals, and the data signals as an optical clock signal, optical control signals, and optical data signals respectively;

a plurality of optical conduits, each optical conduit configured to transmit a respective optical signal output from the electrical-optical signal converting unit;

an optical signal splitting unit configured to:

receive the optical signals transmitted by the plurality of optical conduits,

split the optical clock signal into signals,

split each of the optical control signals into signals, and

split each of the optical data signals into signals; and

an optical-electrical signal converting unit configured to:

receive each of the split optical clock signals,

receive each of the split optical control signals,

receive each of the split optical data signals,

convert the received split optical clock signal, split optical control signals, and split optical data signals into converted electrical signals, and

output a first set of signals of the converted electrical signals to the first memory chip and output a second set of signals of the converted electrical signals to the second memory chip at the same time, wherein the memory chips do not comprise any components included in said optical-electrical signal converting unit.

2. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the optical-electrical signal converting unit includes at least a first converter configured to:

receive a first optical clock signal of the split optical clock signals;

receive a plurality of the split optical control signals;

receive a plurality of the split optical data signals;

convert the first optical clock signal, the received plurality of split optical control signals, and the received plurality of split optical data signals into a first set of the converted electrical signals; and

output the first set of the converted electrical signals to the first memory chip.

3. The computer system of claim 2 , wherein the optical-electrical signal converting unit includes at least a second converter configured to:

receive a second optical clock signal of the split optical clock signals;

receive a second plurality of the split optical control signals;

receive a second plurality of the split optical data signals;

convert the second optical clock signal, the received second plurality of split optical control signals, and the received second plurality of split optical data signals into a second set of the converted electrical signals; and

output the second set of the converted electrical signals to the second memory chip.

4. The computer system of claim 3 , wherein the computer system is configured to apply the first set of the converted electrical signals output from the first converter to the first memory chip and apply the second set of the converted electrical signals output from the second converter to the second memory chip at the same time.

5. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the control signals are read or write commands.

6. An optical memory system comprising:

a plurality of memory chips comprising first and second memory chips;

an electrical-optical signal converting unit configured to:

receive a plurality of electrical signals including at least a control signal and a data signal, and

convert each of the control signal and data signal into respective optical signals, and output the control signal and the data signal as an optical control signal and optical data signal respectively;

an optical signal splitting unit configured to:

split the optical control signal into signals, and

split the optical data signal into signals; and

an optical-electrical signal converting unit configured to:

receive each of the split optical control signals,

receive each of the split optical data signals, and

convert the received split optical control signals, and split optical data signals into electrical signals, wherein the optical-electrical signal converting unit includes at least a first converter configured to:

receive a first optical control signal of the split optical control signals;

receive a first optical data signal of the split optical data signals;

convert the first optical control signal and the first optical data signal into first converted electrical signals; and

output the first converted electrical signals to the first memory chip,

wherein the optical-electrical signal converting unit includes at least a second converter configured to:

receive a second optical control signal of the split optical control signals;

receive a second optical data signal of the split optical data signals;

convert the second optical control signal and the second optical data signal into second converted electrical signals; and

output the second converted electrical signals to the the second memory chip, and

wherein the plurality of memory chips does not comprise said first and second converters.

7. The optical memory system of claim 6 , wherein the optical memory system is configured to apply the first converted electrical signals output from the first converter to the first memory chip and apply and the second converted electrical signals output from the second converter to the second memory chip at the same time.

8. The optical memory system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of electrical signals further include at least a plurality of additional control signals, and a plurality of additional data signals and wherein

the electrical-optical signal converting unit is further configured to

convert each of the plurality of additional control signals and the plurality of additional data signals into respective optical signals, and

output the plurality additional control signals and the plurality of additional data signals as additional optical control signals and additional optical data signals respectively,

the optical signal splitting unit is further configured to split each of the additional optical control signals into signals and split each of the additional optical data signals into signals, and

the optical-electrical signal converting unit is further configured to

receive each of the split additional optical control signals,

receive each of the split additional optical data signals, and

convert the received split additional optical control signals and split additional optical data signals into electrical signals.

9. The optical memory system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of electrical signals further include at least a clock signal, and wherein

the electrical-optical signal converting unit is further configured to convert the clock signal into an optical signal and output the clock signal as an optical clock signal;

the optical signal splitting unit is further configured to split the optical clock signal into signals; and

the optical-electrical signal converting unit is further configured to receive each of the split clock signals and convert the received split clock signals into electrical signals.

10. A computer system comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU);

a board;

at least a first memory chip and a second memory chip mounted on the board;

an electrical-optical signal converting unit configured to:

receive a plurality of electrical signals from the CPU including at least a control signal, a data signal, and a clock signal,

convert each of the control signal, the data signal, and the clock signal into respective optical signals, and output the control signal, the data signal, and the clock signal as an optical control signal, optical data signal, and optical clock signal respectively;

a plurality of optical conduits, each optical conduit configured to transmit a respective optical signal output from the electrical-optical signal converting unit;

an optical signal splitting unit configured to:

receive the optical signals transmitted by the plurality of optical conduits,

split the optical control signal into m signals,

split the optical data signal in m signals, and

split the optical clock signal into m signals;

an optical-electrical signal converting unit configured to:

receive each of the m split optical control signals,

receive each of the m split optical data signals,

receive each of the m split optical clock signals,

convert the received m split optical control signals, m split optical data signals, and m split optical clock signals into converted electrical signals, and

output a first set of signals of the converted electrical signals to the first memory chip and output a second set of signals of the converted electrical signals to the second memory chip at the same time, wherein m is an integer greater than one and the first and second memory chips do not comprise any components included in said optical-electrical signal converting unit.

11. A computer system comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU);

a board;

at least a first memory chip and a second memory chip mounted on the board;

an electrical-optical signal converting unit configured to:

receive a plurality of electrical signals from the CPU including at least a control signal and a data signal, and

convert each of the control signal and the data signal into respective optical signals, and output the control signal and the data signal as an optical control signal and optical data signal respectively;

a plurality of optical conduits each optical conduit configured to transmit a respective optical signal output from the electrical-optical signal converting unit;

an optical signal splitting unit configured to:

receive the optical signals transmitted by the plurality of optical conduits,

split the optical control signal into m signals, and

split the optical data signal into m signals; and

an optical-electrical signal converting unit configured to:

receive each of the m split optical control signals,

receive each of the m split optical data signals,

convert the received m split optical control signals and m split optical data signals into converted electrical signals, and

output a first set of signals of the converted electrical signals to the first memory chip and output a second set of signals of the converted electrical signals to the second memory chip at the same time, wherein m is an integer greater than one and the first and second memory chips do not comprise any components included in said optical-electrical signal converting unit.

12. An optical memory system comprising:

a plurality of electrical-optical signal converters configured to:

receive a plurality of electrical signals including at least a control signal and a data signal, and

convert each of the control signal and the data signal into respective optical signals and output the control signal and the data signal as an optical control signal and optical data signal respectively;

a plurality of optical splitters configured to:

split the optical control signal into signals, and

split the optical data signal into signals;

a plurality of optical-electrical signal converters configured to:

receive the split optical control signals,

receive the split optical data signals, and

convert the received split optical control signals and split optical data signals into electrical signals;

a first memory chip, wherein at least one of the plurality of optical-electrical signal converters is configured to:

receive a first optical control signal of the split optical control signals,

receive a first optical data signal of the split optical data signals,

convert the first optical control signal and the first optical data signal into first converted electrical signals, and

output the first converted electrical signals to the first memory chip; and

a second memory chip, wherein at least one of the plurality of optical-electrical signal converters is configured to:

receive a second optical control signal of the split optical control signals,

receive a second optical data signal of the split optical data signals,

convert the second optical control signal and the second optical data signal into second converted electrical signals, and

output the second converted electrical signals to the second memory chip, wherein the first and second memory chips do not comprise any components included in said plurality of optical-electrical signal converters.

13. The optical memory system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of optical-electrical converters comprises a first and a second converter and the optical memory system is configured to apply the first converted electrical signals output from the first converter to the first memory chip and apply and the second converted electrical signals output from the second converter to the second memory chip at the same time.

14. The optical memory system of claim 13 , wherein the control signal is a test signal.

Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2009-0008038 · Feb 2, 2009 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 12690656 · Jan 20, 2010
Related Publication 20120002495A1 · Jan 5, 2012