Power management
Methods, and apparatus configured to perform such methods, providing peak power management are useful in mitigating excessive current levels within a multi-die package. For example, a method might include generating a clock signal in a particular die of a plurality of dies, counting pulses of the clock signal in a wrap-around counter in each die of the plurality of dies, and pausing an access operation for the particular die of the plurality of dies at a designated point until a value of the wrap-around counter matches an assigned counter value of the particular die.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
an array of memory cells;
a controller, wherein the controller is configured to perform an access operation on the array of memory cells;
a clock generator for generating a clock signal; and
a wrap-around counter for counting pulses of the clock signal;
wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether a value of the wrap-around counter matches a counter value assigned to the apparatus and to pause the access operation at a designated point until the value of the wrap-around counter matches the assigned counter value of the apparatus; and
wherein the controller is further configured to cause the clock generator to temporarily stop generating the clock signal in response to the value of the wrap-around counter matching the assigned counter value of the apparatus while the access operation is paused.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the controller is further configured to resume the access operation when the value of the wrap-around counter matches the assigned counter value of the apparatus.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is internal to the apparatus.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the designated point of the access operation is a point prior to entering a high current-demand portion of the access operation.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the access operation is associated with more than one designated point at which the controller is configured to pause the access operation.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the clock generator is intermittently enabled.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a ready/busy control signal shared with one or more other apparatus, wherein the wrap-around counter is reset when the ready/busy control signal indicates that none of the apparatus are busy.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a clock output for outputting the clock signal.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the controller is further configured to perform another access operation on the array of memory cells.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
wherein the access operation and the another access operation are selected from the group consisting of a write operation, a read operation and an erase operation.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the access operation is a read operation and the designated point of the access operation is a point prior to precharging data lines for the read operation.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the access operation is a write operation and the designated point of the access operation is a point prior to precharging access lines for the write operation.
13. An apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of dies, wherein each die of the plurality of dies comprises:
an array of memory cells;
a controller; and
a wrap-around counter;
wherein the controller is configured to perform an access operation on the array of memory cells;
wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether a value of the wrap-around counter matches a counter value assigned to that die and to pause access operations at one or more designated points of those access operations until the value of the wrap-around counter matches the assigned counter value of that die, and to resume an access operation so paused when the value of the wrap-around counter matches the assigned counter value of that die; and
wherein each designated point is a point in a given access operation prior to a high-current demand portion of that access operation;
wherein a particular die of the plurality of dies comprises a clock generator for generating a clock signal;
wherein the wrap-around counter of each die of the plurality of dies is configured to count pulses of the clock signal;
wherein the clock generator of the particular die is selectively enabled in response to a ready/busy signal indicative of whether any die of the plurality of dies is busy performing any of the access operations, and a clock enable signal indicative of whether any die of the plurality of dies is in a high-current demand portion of any of the access operations; and
wherein the controller of each die of the plurality of dies is further configured to pull the clock enable signal to a particular logic level while its corresponding die of the plurality of dies is in a high-current demand portion of any of the access operations.
14. An apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of dies, wherein each die of the plurality of dies comprises:
an array of memory cells;
a controller; and
a wrap-around counter;
wherein the controller is configured to perform an access operation on the array of memory cells;
wherein the controller is further configured to pause access operations at one or more designated points of those access operations until a value of the wrap-around counter matches an assigned counter value of that die, and to resume an access operation so paused when the value of the wrap-around counter matches the assigned counter value of that die; and
wherein each designated point is a point in a given access operation prior to a high-current demand portion of that access operation;
wherein a particular die of the plurality of dies comprises a clock generator for generating a clock signal;
wherein the wrap-around counter of each die of the plurality of dies is responsive to the clock signal;
wherein the clock generator of the particular die is selectively enabled in response to a ready/busy signal indicative of whether any die of the plurality of dies is busy performing any of the access operations, and a clock enable signal indicative of whether any die of the plurality of dies is in a high-current demand portion of any of the access operations; and
wherein the clock generator of the particular die is enabled in response to the ready/busy signal being indicative of any die of the plurality of dies being busy performing any of the access operations, and the clock enable signal being indicative of no die of the plurality of dies being in a high-current demand portion of any of the access operations.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:
wherein the wrap-around counter of each die of the plurality of dies is further responsive to the ready/busy signal.
16. An apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of dies, wherein each die of the plurality of dies comprises:
an array of memory cells;
a controller; and
a wrap-around counter;
wherein the controller is configured to perform an access operation on the array of memory cells;
wherein the controller is further configured to pause access operations at one or more designated points of those access operations until a value of the wrap-around counter matches an assigned counter value of that die, and to resume an access operation so paused when the value of the wrap-around counter matches the assigned counter value of that die; and
wherein each designated point is a point in a given access operation prior to a high-current demand portion of that access operation;
wherein a particular die of the plurality of dies comprises a clock generator for generating a clock signal;
wherein the wrap-around counter of each die of the plurality of dies is responsive to the clock signal;
wherein the clock generator of the particular die is selectively enabled in response to a ready/busy signal indicative of whether any die of the plurality of dies is busy performing any of the access operations, and a clock enable signal indicative of whether any die of the plurality of dies is in a high-current demand portion of any of the access operations; and
wherein the wrap-around counter of each die of the plurality of dies is configured to reset to a first value in response to the ready/busy signal being indicative of no die of the plurality of dies being busy performing any of the access operations.
17. An apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of dies, wherein each die of the plurality of dies comprises:
an array of memory cells;
a controller; and
a wrap-around counter;
wherein the controller is configured to perform an access operation on the array of memory cells;
wherein the controller is further configured to pause access operations at one or more designated points of those access operations until a value of the wrap-around counter matches an assigned counter value of that die, and to resume an access operation so paused when the value of the wrap-around counter matches the assigned counter value of that die; and
wherein each designated point is a point in a given access operation prior to a high-current demand portion of that access operation;
wherein a particular die of the plurality of dies comprises a clock generator for generating a clock signal;
wherein the wrap-around counter of each die of the plurality of dies is responsive to the clock signal;
wherein the clock generator of the particular die is selectively enabled in response to a ready/busy signal indicative of whether any die of the plurality of dies is busy performing any of the access operations, and a clock enable signal indicative of whether any die of the plurality of dies is in a high-current demand portion of any of the access operations;
wherein the clock enable signal has a normal logic level; and
wherein each die of the plurality of dies is configured to transition the logic level of the clock enable signal to a second logic level during high-current demand portions of access operations being performed on that die, and to release the logic level of the clock enable signal during other portions of the access operations being performed on that die.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the clock enable signal is on a clock enable signal line connected to each die of the plurality of dies, and wherein each die of the plurality of dies is configured to selectively connect the clock enable signal line to a reference potential node of that die.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein each die of the plurality of dies is further configured to selectively connect the clock enable signal line to a voltage supply node of that die through a resistor of that die.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein one die of the plurality of dies is designated to connect the clock enable signal line to its voltage supply node through its resistor, while remaining dies of the plurality of dies do not connect the clock enable signal line to their voltage supply nodes through their resistors.
21. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the clock enable signal line is connected to a voltage supply node through a resistor, and wherein the voltage supply node and resistor are external to the plurality of dies.
22. A method of operating a plurality of dies, comprising:
generating a clock signal in a particular die of the plurality of dies;
counting pulses of the clock signal in a wrap-around counter in each die of the plurality of dies, wherein each die of the plurality of dies has a respective assigned counter value;
determining whether a value of the wrap-around counter of the particular die matches the assigned counter value of the particular die;
pausing an access operation for the particular die at a designated point until the value of the wrap-around counter of the particular die matches the assigned counter value of the particular die; and
temporarily stop generating the clock signal in response to the value of the wrap-around counter matching the assigned counter value of the particular die while the access operation is paused.
23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising resuming the access operation when the value of the wrap-around counter matches the assigned counter value of the particular die.
24. The method of claim 22 , further comprising determining whether a value of the wrap-around counter of an other die of the plurality of dies matches the assigned counter value of the other die and pausing an access operation for the other die at a designated point until the value of the wrap-around counter of the other die matches the assigned counter value of the other die.
25. The method of claim 24 , further comprising resuming the access operation for the other die when the value of the wrap-around counter of the other die matches the assigned counter value of the other die.
26. The method of claim 22 , wherein the designated point of the access operation is a point prior to entering a high current-demand portion of the access operation.
27. The method of claim 22 , wherein the access operation is associated with more than one designated point at which to pause the access operation.
28. The method of claim 22 , wherein generating the clock signal in the particular die of the plurality of dies comprises generating the clock signal when any die of the plurality of dies is busy performing an access operation and no die of the plurality of dies is in a high-current demand portion of an access operation.
29. The method of claim 22 , wherein generating the clock signal in the particular die of the plurality of dies comprises generating the clock signal in response to a clock enable signal.
30. The method of claim 29 , wherein generating the clock signal in response to a clock enable signal comprises generating the clock signal in response to the clock enable signal and a ready/busy control signal.
31. The method of claim 30 , further comprising resetting the wrap-around counter when the ready/busy control signal indicates that none of the plurality of dies is busy performing an access operation.
32. The method of claim 22 , further comprising performing more than one type of access operation on the particular die, wherein one or more of the types of access operations is associated with one or more designated points at which to pause that type of access operation.
33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the types of access operations are selected from the group consisting of a write operation, a read operation and an erase operation.
34. The method of claim 22 , wherein counting pulses of the clock signal in a wrap-around counter in each die of the plurality of dies comprises counting successively through a number of counter values equal to a number of dies of the plurality of dies.
35. A method of operating a plurality of dies, comprising:
generating a clock signal in a particular die of the plurality of dies;
counting pulses of the clock signal in a wrap-around counter in each die of the plurality of dies, wherein each die of the plurality of dies has a respective assigned counter value;
determining whether a value of the wrap-around counter of the particular die matches the assigned counter value of the particular die;
pausing an access operation for the particular die at a designated point until the value of the wrap-around counter of the particular die matches the assigned counter value of the particular die, wherein the designated point is a point in the access operation prior to a high-current demand portion of the access operation;
resuming the access operation when the value of the wrap-around counter matches the assigned counter value of the particular die; and
stopping generation of the clock signal while the access operation is in the high-current demand portion of the access operation.
36. The method of claim 35 , wherein generating a clock signal in a particular die of the plurality of dies comprises generating the clock signal in response to a ready/busy control signal indicative of whether any die of the plurality of dies is busy performing any access operation.
37. The method of claim 36 , wherein generating the clock signal is further in response to a clock enable signal indicative of whether any die of the plurality of dies is in a high-current demand portion of any access operations.
38. The method of claim 36 , further comprising resetting each wrap-around counter when the ready/busy control signal indicates that none of the plurality of dies is busy performing an access operation.
39. The method of claim 35 , further comprising stopping generation of the clock signal while any access operation being performed in any die of the plurality of dies is in a high-current demand portion of that access operation.
40. The method of claim 35 , wherein the access operation is associated with more than one designated point at which to pause the access operation.