Method and apparatus for DMA-generated memory write-back
View Patent ↗A method for memory write-back provides a memory access controller and then generates a write-back pattern in the memory access controller. The write-back pattern is then written back into a memory starting at a predetermined address location and continuing for a predetermined length of the addressing space of the memory.
1. A method for memory write-back, comprising:
providing a memory access controller;
generating a write-back pattern in the memory access controller, wherein the memory access controller generates all of the write-back pattern; and
writing-back the write-back pattern into a memory starting at a predetermined address location and continuing for a predetermined length of the addressing space of the memory.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the write-back pattern is a clearing pattern.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the write-back pattern is a repeating write-back data pattern.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the repeating write-back data pattern comprises a pattern of bit values other than a single bit value.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the write-back pattern is a repeating write-back data pattern that is a standard pattern that is programmed into the memory access controller.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing the memory write-back in a printer memory.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing the memory write-back in a memory clearing mode or a memory filling mode.
8. A method for memory write-back, comprising:
providing a direct memory access controller;
providing a central processing unit that specifies:
an address location in a memory to begin writing to; and
a length of the addressing space of the memory into which a memory write-back value is to be written;
generating a write-back pattern in the direct memory access controller, wherein the direct memory access controller generates all of the write-back pattern; and
writing-back the write-back pattern into the memory starting at the address location and continuing for the length of the addressing space of the memory.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the write-back pattern is a clearing pattern.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein the write-back pattern is a repeating write-back data pattern.
11. The method of claim 8 wherein the write-back pattern is a repeating write-back data pattern that is a standard pattern that is programmed into the direct memory access controller.
12. The method of claim 8 further comprising performing the memory write-back in a memory clearing mode or a memory filling mode.
13. The method of 8 further comprising performing the memory write-back without receiving a write-back value from a bus master.
14. Apparatus for memory write-back, comprising:
a memory access controller;
circuitry in the memory access controller for generating a write-back pattern, wherein the circuitry in the memory access controller is configured to generate all of the write-back pattern; and
circuitry for writing-back the write-back pattern into a memory starting at a predetermined address location and continuing for a predetermined length of the addressing space of the memory.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the write-back pattern is a clearing pattern.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the write-back pattern is a repeating write-back data pattern.
17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the write-back pattern is a repeating write-back data pattern that is a standard pattern that is programmed into the memory access controller.
18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the memory write-back is performed in a printer memory.
19. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising circuitry for performing the memory write-back in a memory clearing mode or a memory filling mode.
20. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the memory comprises a memory of a portable computing device.