Semiconductor Read Packet Error Reporting via MAC and CRC Alteration
Solution Overview
Problem
Non-volatile memory devices face challenges in accurately reporting error information during secure operations, particularly in secure read operations with error correction, as existing methods fail to reliably indicate errors in readout data, affecting data integrity and system performance.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device with circuitry that outputs a read packet containing error information indicated by error codes, message authentication codes (MAC), and cyclic redundancy checks (CRC), where the MAC and CRC can be altered internally to indicate errors, ensuring accurate error reporting even if ECC fails on portions of the readout data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If error correction code (ECC) is used for secure read operations, then data integrity is improved, but error detection reliability deteriorates when ECC fails on portions of readout data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the readout data into multiple portions and applies ECC to each portion separately. When ECC fails on any portion, the system can identify which portion failed and report errors accordingly. This segmentation allows the system to maintain overall data integrity while improving error detection reliability by isolating failures to specific segments rather than affecting the entire data set.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system continuously monitors the results of ECC operations on readout data portions. When ECC fails on any portion, the system generates error information and feeds back to the controller, enabling real-time detection and reporting of errors. This feedback loop ensures that error detection reliability is maintained even when ECC fails on portions of the data.
2Measurement precision
If error information is output in read packets, then error reporting accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the error detection functionality with the existing read operation circuitry. The same circuitry that performs ECC correction also generates and outputs error information in the read packets. By combining these functions, the system improves error reporting accuracy without proportionally increasing device complexity, as the error detection and reporting mechanisms share the same hardware resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The read packet structure is designed to serve multiple purposes: it carries readout data, ECC correction information, and error status indicators. The same packet transmission mechanism handles both data retrieval and error reporting, making the system more efficient. This multi-functionality approach improves error reporting accuracy while minimizing the increase in device complexity by reusing existing transmission infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, devices, methods, and circuits for managing status output are provided. In one aspect, a semiconductor device includes: a memory array configured to store data and a circuitry coupled to the memory array and configured to execute a read operation in the memory array and output a read packet based on a result of the execution of the read operation. The read packet includes readout data and error information associated with the readout data. The error information is indicated by at least one of an error code or one or more secure codes in the read packet.