IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,514,420
Granted Patent B2
US 9,514,420 · App. 14/824,080 · Granted Dec 6, 2016

Strobe gating adaption and training in a memory controller

Inventors: Soumya Bose (Bangalore, IN); Navin Kumar Mishra (Bangalore, IN); Abhilash Puzhankara (Thrissur, IN); Mahabaleshwara Mahabaleshwara (Udupi, IN); Karthikeyan Swamiappan (Tamilnadu, IN)
Assignee: Rambus Inc.
G06N99/005G06F13/1668G11C7/06G11C7/067G11C7/1078G11C11/4096G11C2207/2254
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,514,420
App. No.
14/824,080
Granted
Dec 6, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A memory controller includes a differential receiver circuitry to receive a differential data strobe signal pair and to generate a first data strobe signal based on the differential data strobe signal pair. The differential data strobe signal pair comprises a first signal and a second signal. The memory controller also includes a single ended receiver circuitry to receive the first signal of the differential data strobe signal pair and to generate a second data strobe signal based on the first signal of the differential data strobe signal pair. The memory controller further includes circuitry to generate a gating signal for gating the first data strobe signal, the circuitry generating the gating signal based on the second data strobe signal.

Claims (42)

1. A memory controller comprising:

differential receiver circuitry to receive a differential data strobe signal pair and to generate a first data strobe signal based on the differential data strobe signal pair, the differential data strobe signal pair comprised of a first signal and a second signal;

single ended receiver circuitry to receive the first signal of the differential data strobe signal pair and to generate a second data strobe signal based on the first signal of the differential data strobe signal pair;

circuitry to generate a gating signal for gating the first data strobe signal, the circuitry receiving a gate strobe signal indicative of an active data strobe window and generating the gating signal based on the second data strobe signal and the gate strobe signal, the gating signal indicative of an adjusted version of the active data strobe window; and

training circuitry to calibrate the active data strobe window of the gate strobe signal based on the second data strobe signal.

2. The memory controller of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry triggers a start of the adjusted version of the active data strobe window based on the second data strobe signal.

3. The memory controller of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry generates the gating signal further based on the first data strobe signal.

4. The memory controller of claim 1 , wherein the training circuitry comprises:

a first sampling circuit to generate a first data strobe sample by sampling the second data strobe signal at a rising edge of the gate strobe signal; and

a second sampling circuit to generate a second data strobe sample by sampling the second data strobe signal at a falling edge of the gate strobe signal;

wherein the training circuitry calibrates the active data strobe window based on the first data strobe sample and the second data strobe sample.

5. The memory controller of claim 1 , wherein the differential receiver circuitry comprises a comparator to compare the first and second signals of the differential data strobe signal pair and to generate the first data strobe signal based on the comparison.

6. The memory controller of claim 1 , wherein the single ended receiver circuitry comprises a comparator to compare the first signal from the differential data strobe signal pair to a reference voltage signal, and to generate the second data strobe signal based on the comparison.

7. A method of operation in a memory controller, the method comprising:

receiving, at a differential receiver, a differential data strobe signal pair, the differential data strobe signal pair comprised of a first signal and a second signal;

generating, by the differential receiver, a first data strobe signal based on the differential data strobe signal pair;

receiving, at a single ended receiver, the first signal of the differential data strobe signal pair;

generating, by the single ended receiver, a second data strobe signal based on the first signal of the differential data strobe signal pair;

calibrating an active data strobe window of a gate strobe signal based on the second data strobe signal; and

generating a gating signal for gating the first data strobe signal, the gating signal generated based on the second data strobe signal and the gate strobe signal, the gating signal indicative of an adjusted version of the active data strobe window.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein generating the gating signal comprises

triggering a start of the adjusted version of the active data strobe window based on the second data strobe signal.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the generating of the gating signal is further based on the first data strobe signal.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

generating a first data strobe sample by sampling the second data strobe signal at a rising edge of the gate strobe signal;

generating a second data strobe sample by sampling the second data strobe signal at a falling edge of the gate strobe signal; and

calibrating the active data strobe window based on the first data strobe sample and the second data strobe sample.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein generating the first data strobe signal comprises:

comparing the first and second signals of the differential data strobe signal pair; and

generating the first data strobe signal based on the comparison.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein generating the second data strobe signal comprises:

comparing the first signal from the differential data strobe signal pair and a reference voltage signal; and

generating the second data strobe signal based on the comparison.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a representation of a memory controller, the memory controller comprising:

differential receiver circuitry to receive a differential data strobe signal pair and to generate a first data strobe signal based on the differential data strobe signal pair, the differential data strobe signal pair comprised of a first signal and a second signal;

single ended receiver circuitry to receive the first signal of the differential data strobe signal pair and to generate a second data strobe signal based on the first signal of the differential data strobe signal pair;

circuitry to generate a gating signal for gating the first data strobe signal, the circuitry receiving a gate strobe signal indicative of an active data strobe window and generating the gating signal based on the second data strobe signal and the gate strobe signal, the gating signal indicative of an adjusted version of the active data strobe window; and

training circuitry to calibrate the active data strobe window of the gate strobe signal based on the second data strobe signal.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the training circuitry comprises:

a first sampling circuit to generate a first data strobe sample by sampling the second data strobe signal at a rising edge of the gate strobe signal; and

a second sampling circuit to generate a second data strobe sample by sampling the second data strobe signal at a falling edge of the gate strobe signal;

wherein the training circuitry calibrates the active data strobe window based on the first data strobe sample and the second data strobe sample.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 2, 2015
From: BOSE, SOUMYA; MISHRA, NAVIN KUMAR; PUZHANKARA, ABHILASH; MAHABALESHWARA, MAHABALESHWARA; SWAMIAPPAN, KARTHIKEYAN
To: RAMBUS INC.
Reel/Frame 036481/0957 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62038125 · Aug 15, 2014
Related Publication 20160049183A1 · Feb 18, 2016