Write Buffer Bypass Reads for Low-Latency Memory Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional memory sub-systems face challenges in reducing latency and data corruption when performing read operations on recently written data, as they often require a delay to ensure data integrity, which increases latency and reduces the quality of service.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a read operation that bypasses the initial search for data in the buffer and directly reads from the memory components, with initial error correction attempts, and subsequent buffer search only if data cannot be corrected, allowing for re-programming of memory components using data from the buffer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the system performs an initial search for data in the buffer for every read operation, then data reliability is improved by avoiding data corruption, but latency increases due to the time required to search the buffer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the buffer search step from the mandatory read operation sequence. By using a content-addressable memory (CAM) to check buffer contents in parallel with the read operation, the system can determine whether buffer search is needed without delaying the primary read path. This separates the reliability check into a concurrent operation rather than a sequential bottleneck.
Solution Approach 2:
The CAM performs preliminary identification of buffer-containing data in parallel with the read operation. By pre-checking what data resides in the buffer using the CAM, the system can prepare to bypass the buffer search step when applicable, reducing latency while maintaining reliability through advance knowledge of buffer contents.
2Reliability
If the system implements a delay period after writing data to prevent errors, then data reliability is improved, but retrieval latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The CAM performs preliminary identification of buffer-containing data in parallel with the read operation. By pre-checking what data resides in the buffer using the CAM, the system can prepare to bypass the buffer search step when applicable, reducing latency while maintaining reliability through advance knowledge of buffer contents.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous operation by allowing the read operation to proceed simultaneously with the buffer validity determination. The CAM check occurs in parallel rather than sequentially, maintaining continuous data flow while still ensuring reliability through concurrent validation of buffer contents.
3Reliability
If the system searches the buffer for every read operation, then data corruption is reduced, but the speed of memory operations decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the buffer search step from the mandatory read operation sequence. By using a content-addressable memory (CAM) to check buffer contents in parallel with the read operation, the system can determine whether buffer search is needed without delaying the primary read path. This separates the reliability check into a concurrent operation rather than a sequential bottleneck.
Solution Approach 2:
The CAM performs preliminary identification of buffer-containing data in parallel with the read operation. By pre-checking what data resides in the buffer using the CAM, the system can prepare to bypass the buffer search step when applicable, reducing latency while maintaining reliability through advance knowledge of buffer contents.
Data Source
AI summary
A read operation to retrieve data from memory component and that bypasses a prior search for the data at a buffer in a read data path associated with the read operation can be performed. Responsive to performing the read operation that bypasses the prior search for the data at the buffer, the data is returned to a host system.