Memory I/O Rate Alignment for Back-to-Back Full-Bandwidth Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated-circuit data storage systems face challenges in achieving full bandwidth data throughput due to non-uniform memory core data rates, leading to resource conflicts and reduced concurrency in memory access operations.
Innovation Solution
Implementing rate alignment logic within memory components to equalize data rates between internal memory cores and external link interfaces, allowing for back-to-back data read/write access at the full bandwidth of the link interface, even with lower memory core bandwidths, by using rate alignment logic at the link interface shared among memory banks or at the TSV interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If memory components operate with non-uniform memory core data rates, then device complexity is reduced and manufacturing is easier, but data throughput and productivity are limited below full bandwidth
Solution Approach 1:
Rate alignment logic is introduced as an intermediary component between the memory core and the external interface. This mediator equalizes data rates by buffering and redistributing data packets, allowing the memory core to operate at its native non-uniform rate while the external interface maintains full bandwidth operation. The rate alignment logic acts as a buffer that decouples the timing requirements of the memory core from the external interface, resolving the contradiction between simplified memory operation and high throughput.
2Ease of operation
If memory access operations are performed without rate alignment, then device complexity is minimized, but resource conflicts occur and concurrency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The rate alignment logic serves as an intermediary that manages data flow between multiple memory banks and the external interface. It tracks the status of each memory bank and coordinates access operations to prevent resource conflicts. By maintaining state information about ongoing transactions and buffering data appropriately, the rate alignment logic enables high concurrency operations without requiring complex coordination protocols at the memory core level.
3Productivity
If data rate equalization is implemented at the bank interface level, then data throughput is optimized, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The rate alignment logic is designed as a universal interface layer that can handle multiple memory banks with different data rates through a single standardized interface. Rather than requiring custom rate alignment circuitry for each memory bank, the same rate alignment logic structure serves all banks, simplifying manufacturing. The universal design allows the system to accommodate non-uniform memory core rates across different banks while maintaining consistent external interface performance.
Data Source
AI summary
First data is read out of a core storage array of a memory component over a first time interval constrained by data output bandwidth of the core storage array. After read out from the core storage array, the first data is output from the memory component over a second time interval that is shorter than the first time interval and that corresponds to a data transfer bandwidth greater than the data output bandwidth of the core storage array.