Memory Die Feedback Pin for Voltage Attenuation Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Power management components in memory systems struggle to adjust supply voltage accurately due to voltage attenuation along power supply rails, leading to potential memory errors in devices far from the power management component.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a dedicated pin in memory devices to provide feedback to the power management component about the supply voltage level, allowing the component to adjust the voltage accordingly based on the feedback received from multiple memory devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If power management component supplies voltage through power supply rails to memory devices, then memory devices can operate, but voltage attenuation occurs along the rails causing supply voltage to drop below minimum threshold for devices far from the power management component

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvememory operation reliabilityVSAvoidsupply voltage accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where memory devices monitor their local supply voltage and communicate the actual voltage level back to the power management component. This feedback loop enables the power management component to adjust its output voltage dynamically, compensating for attenuation effects and ensuring that all memory devices receive adequate voltage regardless of their distance from the power management component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If power management component increases supply voltage to compensate for attenuation, then distant memory devices receive adequate voltage, but nearby memory devices receive excessive voltage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedistant memory device operationVSAvoidovervoltage damage to nearby memory devices

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables each memory device to independently monitor its local supply voltage conditions and provide feedback specific to its location. This allows the power management component to deliver customized voltage levels to different memory devices based on their individual needs, with devices farther away receiving higher voltage compensation while nearby devices receive appropriate baseline voltage, preventing overvoltage damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Device complexity

If no feedback mechanism is used, then system complexity is low, but power management component cannot adjust voltage accurately leading to memory errors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidmemory operation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a feedback mechanism where memory devices monitor their local supply voltage and communicate the actual voltage level back to the power management component. This feedback loop enables the power management component to adjust its output voltage dynamically, compensating for attenuation effects and ensuring that all memory devices receive adequate voltage regardless of their distance from the power management component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20250231607A1Feedback for power management of a memory die using a dedicated pin

Publication Date: 2025.07.17 LODESTAR LICENSING GROUP LLC

AI summary

A memory device may include a pin for communicating feedback regarding a supply voltage to a power management component, such as a power management integrated circuit (PMIC). The memory device may bias the pin to a first voltage indicating that a supply voltage is within a target range. The memory device may subsequently determine that a supply voltage is outside the target range and transition the voltage at the pin from the first voltage to a second voltage indicating that the supply voltage is outside the target range. The memory device may select the second voltage based on whether the supply voltage is above or below the target range.