Memory Controller Data Alignment for Latency Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Memory devices accessed by separate media controllers often experience misaligned data subsets, leading to increased latency and risk of refresh operations, particularly in data protection schemes where a single memory device failure can cause system instability.
Innovation Solution
A memory controller system with sets of media controllers configured to access memory devices in different operating modes, aligning data subsets before transmission for chip kill operations and allowing dynamic switching between modes based on data protection scheme activation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If separate media controllers access memory devices independently, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but data alignment is compromised leading to increased latency and system instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple media controllers into a unified controller that manages multiple memory devices. This unified controller includes data alignment circuitry that ensures proper synchronization and alignment of data subsets across memory devices, eliminating the latency and misalignment issues that arise from independent controller operation while maintaining operational simplicity through centralized management.
2Device complexity
If separate media controllers access memory devices independently, then device complexity is reduced, but system reliability deteriorates due to single-point failures
Solution Approach 1:
By consolidating control functions into a unified controller with integrated data alignment and error correction capabilities, the system achieves improved reliability without proportionally increasing complexity. The unified architecture eliminates single-point failures associated with independent controllers while maintaining manageable complexity through shared resources and coordinated operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified controller incorporates error correction code (ECC) circuitry and data alignment mechanisms that proactively prevent data corruption and system failures. These protective measures are built into the controller architecture in advance, cushioning against potential failures before they occur and improving system reliability without requiring complex redundant controller configurations.
3Speed
If data subsets are not aligned before transmission, then processing speed is improved, but data protection scheme effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The unified controller performs data alignment as a preliminary action before data transmission to memory devices. The data alignment circuitry ensures that data subsets are properly synchronized and positioned in advance, enabling both fast processing and effective data protection schemes such as ECC to operate correctly without requiring re-alignment or refresh operations during normal operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A memory controller can include media controllers respectively coupled to memory devices. A first set of media controllers can be enabled during a first operating mode of the memory controller and a second set of media controller can be enabled during a second operating mode of the memory controller, during which some features, such as low-power features, can be disabled. Data accessed by each media controller of the first set can be aligned prior to being further transmitted to other circuitries of the memory controller that are dedicated, for example, for the low-power features.