Variable Hamming error correction for a one-time-programmable-ROM
View Patent ↗A one-time-programmable (OTP) module includes OTP memory and OTP input/output (I/O) that performs error correction operations. The OTP module may be used in a data communications system. The error correction operations operate according to one of a plurality of supported coding schemes. In one embodiment, the error correction operations are based upon Hamming code operations. The coding scheme employed by the error correction operations is set by a code control input. The code control input is chosen based upon the inherent quality of the OTP memory. The OTP module may thus be incorporated into any of a variety of processes, each of which has its own OTP memory quality.
1. A one-time-programmable (OTP) module for use within a host integrated circuit, the OTP module, comprising:
an OTP read only memory (ROM) having a first data width;
a host interface operably coupled to the host, that receives encoded host data having a second data width from the host integrated circuit and that provides corrected host data to the host integrated circuit;
write path circuitry operably coupled to the OTP ROM and to the host interface, wherein the write path circuitry receives encoded host data from the host interface and writes the encoded host data to the OTP ROM;
read path circuitry operably coupled to the OTP ROM and to the host interface, wherein the read path circuitry reads the encoded host data from the OTP ROM, detects errors in the encoded host data, corrects the errors in the encoded host data to produce the corrected host data, and provides the corrected host data to the host interface, wherein the read path circuitry enacts one of a plurality of supported coding schemes in response to a code control input, and wherein the read path circuitry operates to:
read parallel format encoded host data from the OTP memory at the first data width;
convert the parallel format encoded host data to serial format encoded host data; and
convert the serial format encoded host data to parallel format encoded host data at the second data width.
2. A one-time-programmable (OTP) module for use within a host integrated circuit, the OTP module, comprising:
an OTP read only memory (ROM) having a first data width;
a host interface operably coupled to the host, that receives encoded host data having a second data width from the host integrated circuit and that provides corrected host data to the host integrated circuit;
write path circuitry operably coupled to the OTP ROM and to the host interface, wherein the write path circuitry receives encoded host data from the host interface and writes the encoded host data to the OTP ROM; wherein the write path circuitry operates to:
convert parallel format encoded host data at the second data width to serial format encoded host data;
convert the serial format encoded host data to parallel format encoded host data at the first data width; and
write the parallel format encoded host data to the OTP ROM at the first data width; and
read path circuitry operably coupled to the OTP ROM and to the host interface, wherein the read path circuitry reads the encoded host data from the OTP ROM, detects errors in the encoded host data, corrects the errors in the encoded host data to produce the corrected host data, and provides the corrected host data to the host interface, wherein the read path circuitry enacts one of a plurality of supported coding schemes in response to a code control input.