Memory Device Idle Circuitry Re-enablement Latency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Memory devices in battery-powered devices face significant power consumption issues due to idle circuitry, leading to performance degradation when re-enabling disabled circuitry, which causes delays in executing commands.
Innovation Solution
The memory device is configured to disable idle circuitry, such as input buffers, and re-enable them with an advance enable signal before receiving command/address signals, allowing sufficient time to prevent performance degradation by staggering the enable and command/address signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If idle circuitry is disabled to reduce power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but performance degrades due to delays in re-enabling circuitry when commands are received
Solution Approach 1:
The memory device receives an enable signal in advance of the command signal, allowing idle circuitry to be re-enabled before the command arrives. This preliminary action ensures that the circuitry is ready to process the command without delay, resolving the contradiction between power reduction and performance maintenance.
2Duration of action of moving object
If circuitry is disabled during idle periods to extend battery life, then battery life is extended, but operational efficiency decreases due to re-enablement delays
Solution Approach 1:
By receiving the enable signal beforehand, the memory device can re-enable its circuitry in advance of command processing. This ensures that when the device needs to operate, it is already ready, thus maintaining operational efficiency while still benefiting from power savings during idle periods.
3Loss of energy
If the memory device waits to receive commands before re-enabling circuitry, then power is saved during idle time, but command execution is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The enable signal is received and processed before the command signal arrives at the memory device. This allows the circuitry to be re-enabled in advance, ensuring that command execution can proceed at full speed without waiting for re-enablement, thus resolving the contradiction between power savings and execution speed.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for operating a memory device or devices are described. A memory device or module may introduce latency in commands to coordinate operations at the device or to improve timing or power consumption at the device. For example, a host may issue a command to a memory module, and a component or feature of the memory module may receive the command and modify the command or the timing of its execution in manner that is invisible or non-disruptive to the host while facilitating operations at the memory module. In some examples, components or features of a memory module may be disabled to effect or introduce latency in operation without affecting timing or operation of a host device. A memory module may operate in different modes that allow for different latencies; the use or introduction of latencies may not affect other features or operability of the memory module.