Memory Controller Direct Data Movement Bypassing Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current memory devices, such as DRAM, face inefficiencies in moving large blocks of data due to narrow Input/Output interfaces and communication widths, requiring multiple cycles to transfer data between rows within the memory device.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where the memory controller moves data directly between sections of a memory device using sense amplifiers and buffer rows, bypassing the communication interface, allowing data to be transferred without passing through the interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If data is moved through the communication interface between memory device and processor, then data transfer can be performed using standardized interfaces, but the number of cycles required increases due to narrow interface width
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the data movement operation from the standardized communication interface path and performs it directly within the memory device. The memory controller identifies when a read command targets data already present in the memory device, and directly transfers that data to the output buffer without routing it through the narrow communication interface to the processor and back, thereby eliminating the interface bottleneck while maintaining standardized interface compatibility for other operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the memory controller as an intermediary that intercepts and handles specific data movement operations. The controller acts as a mediator between the processor's read command and the memory array, detecting opportunities for direct internal data movement and executing them through alternative paths using sense amplifiers and buffer rows, thus resolving the contradiction between interface standardization and transfer efficiency
2Ease of manufacture
If multiple cycles are used to transfer large blocks of data through narrow I/O interfaces, then data can be moved with existing hardware, but the time required for data movement increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the memory controller pre-process read commands to identify data that can be moved directly from the memory array. Before data is transferred through the standard interface path, the controller detects opportunities for optimization and prepares direct transfer paths using sense amplifiers and buffer rows, thereby reducing transfer time without requiring complex hardware modifications
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds another dimension to data transfer by creating an internal direct-transfer path that operates parallel to the standardized interface path. This alternative dimension uses sense amplifiers and buffer rows to move data directly within the memory device, bypassing the sequential interface-based transfer and significantly reducing transfer time while keeping the original hardware architecture intact
3Ease of operation
If data is moved sequentially through sequential addresses via communication interface, then data transfer follows standardized protocols, but the efficiency of moving large data blocks decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses copying by creating an internal replica of the data path through sense amplifiers and buffer rows. When a read command is received, the controller copies the relevant data directly from the memory array to the output buffer through this internal path, bypassing the need for sequential interface-based transfer. This copying mechanism maintains protocol compliance at the interface level while achieving high-efficiency data movement internally
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus, systems, and methods for data movement in a memory device are described. In one embodiment, a memory controller comprises logic to move a row of data from a first row of a memory in a first section of a memory device to a second row of memory in a second section of the memory device without passing the data through a communication interface. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.