(12) United States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 8,214,616 B2 Ware Et A]
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US008214616B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 8,214,616 B2 Ware et a]. (45) Date of Patent: Jul. 3, 2012 (54) MEMORYTIMING OFFSET CONTROLLER CAPABILITY DEVICE HAVING 4,330,852, , 2A 5/1982 JchlllglRedwineac son 6t a1~ .......et al.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .. 365/221 4,337,523 A 6/1982 H tt t l. 365/194 (75) Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, Los Altos, CA (US); 4,445,204 A 4/19g4 Nfshéilgilcili 365/194 Ely K. Tsern, Los Altos, CA (US); 4,499,536 A 2/1985 Gemma et a1. .............. .. 364/200 Richard E. Perego, San Jose, CA (US); (Continued) Craig E. Hampel, San Jose, CA (US) FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS (73) Assignee: Rambus Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US) Ep 0379772 A2 8/1990 C t' d ( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this ( on lnue ) patent is extended or adjusted under 35 OTHER PUBLICATIONS U.S.C. 154(b) by 460 days. Complaint Under Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as Amended, (21) APPL NO. 11/754995 In the Matter of Certain Semiconductor Chips Having Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory Controller and Products Contain (22) Filed. May 29, 2007 ing Same, Including Graphics Cards and Motherboards, In United States International Trade Commission, Washington, DC, Investi (65) Prior' Publication' ' Data gation No. 337-TA, Nov. 6, 2008, 215 pages, Appendices and Exhib Us 2007/0255919 Al N 1 2007 its omitted except as otherwise cited herein. ov. , (Continued) Related U.S. Application Data P ' E ' * Th N (63) Continuation of application No. 10/732,533, ?led on 72mg); xamlzer guyglll 1 Sh 11 Dec. 11, 2003, noW Pat. No. 7,225,311, which is a ( ) m’mey’ gem’ "r m” i at es emwe continuation of application No. 09/841,911, ?led on (57) ABSTRACT Apr. 24, 2001, noW Pat. No. 6,675,272. _ _ _ A memory controller is d1sclosed. In one particular exem (51) Int, Cl, plary embodiment, the memory controller may comprise a G06F 13/36 (200601) ?rst transmitter to output ?rst and second Write commands (52) U.S. Cl. ....... .. 711/167; 711/163; 711/104; 711/105 synchronously With respect to a Clock signal, a second trans (58) Field of Classi?cation Search ...................... .. None mmer to Output ?rst data usmg a ?rst nmmg Offset Such that See application ?le for Complete Search history' the ?rst data arrives at a ?rst memory device in accordance With a predetermined timing relationship With respect to a (56) References Cited ?rst transition of the clock signal, and a third transmitter to output second data suing a second timing offset such that the U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS second data arrives at a second memory device in accordance 3,820,081 A 6/1974 Donahue .................. .. 360/172.5 With a predetermined timing relationship With respect to a 3,950,735 A 4/1976 Patel 340/172.5 second transition of the clock signal. 4,183,095 A 1/1980 Ward .... .. 365/189 4,266,282 A 5/1981 Henle ........................... .. 365/52 55 Claims, 34 Drawing Sheets Slice 2 2717 Controller US 8,214,616 B2 Page2 U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 5,568,445 A 10/1996 Park e161. ................... .. 365/233 4,567,545 A 1/1986 Mettler, J1. .................. .. 361/401 5’577’236 A “A996 Jo-hnson 395/551 4637018 A M987 F1 1 371A 5,578,940 A 11/1996 Dlllon e161 .. 326/30 4,646,270 A M987 Vowel” "565/230 5,579,352 A 11/1996 Llewellyn ................... .. 375/376 4,654,790 A M987 vx‘l’sfs??a """"""""""""""""" " 5,606,717 A 2/1997 Farmwaldetal. ............ .. 710/36 4,656,605 A M987 Clayton“ 365/52 5,611,058 A 3/1997 MOOreetal. 395/309 4,712,190 A 12/1987 Guglielmiet . 364/900 A 8888; gogley 882,228 47194,755,937 602 A M9881/1988 HaG18 e161 '364/200365/230 5,646,904’ ’ A 7/1997 011116mmpeta' 61211. 365/233 4,763,249 A 8/1988 B6l1i1b£1e16l ' 364/200 5’649’161 A 7/ 1997 Andmde et a1‘ " 395/494 4,792,926 A 12/1988 R6be11s .... I 365/189 282288? A 8888; 888% “j 382/6538 4,792,929 A 12/1988 O1SOI1 e161. 365/233 5’680’361 A 10,1997 vémgnefgl ' ' "385/230 01 4,799,199 A 1/1989 Scales, 111 e161 .365/230 5’708’297 A 1,1998 Clayton ' """"""" " 257/723 4,800,530 A 1/1989 11611 61211. .................... .. 365/189 5’742’798 A 4,1998 Goldrian """"""""""" " 395,551 4,821,2264825411 A 4/1989M989 ChristopherHamano et a1. ....... .. 364/900365A89 5,748,914’ ’ A 5/1998 Barthetal." .. 395/285 4,845,6644,845,677 A 7/1989 A1611el111111111,Chappell et a1. J1. .......et a1. .. 365/189.02364/900 28882885796624 A 888888,1998 Sridharetal' " 364,489 4,849,9374866675 A 7/19899/l989 Y6s111111616K h. 365/189.05365A94 5,819,076’ ’ A 10/1998 Jeddelohetal.' " 395/552 4866676 A 9/l989 cawastmlw 365/200 5,844,855 A 12/1998 Wareetal. .... .. 365/230.01 4,866,677 A 9/l989 S33E51.” " ' 365/222 5,857,095 A 1/1999 Jeddeloh e161. 395/552 4,866,678 A 9/1989 P1111<1111111 e161. ....... .. 365/230.01 5’867’541 A M999 Tanaka et a1‘ 375654 4875192 A “M989 Matsumoto 365A93 5,880,998 A 3/1999 Tanlmuraetal. 365/189.05 4,882,712 A 11/1989 011116 e161. 365/206 5’892’981 A 4/1999 Wlggers """" " 395/878 4891791 A M990 Iijima 365/l89 01 5,928,343 A 7/1999 Farmwaldetal. 710/104 4,916,670 A 4/1990 Suzuki e161. 365/233 A 88888 £8515? 31' 5653/8888; 4,920,483 A 4/1990 Pogue 61211. 364/200 5’943’573 A 8,1999 Wen y ' 438/275 4,928,265 A 5/1990 H1g116111 61211. 365/189.01 5’952’691 A 9,1999 Yamaggl'? 257/316 4,937,734 A 6/1990 Be61116ls11e1111 .... .. 364/200 5’966’343 A 10,1999 Thurs‘fon 365,233 4,945,5164953128 A 7/1990M990 KashiyamaKawaietal 365/189.05365A94 5,987,576’ ’ A 11/1999 JOhIlSOIletal."" " . 711/167 5,001,672 A 3/1991 Ebbers et a1. .......... .. 365/230.05 8888888 A 58888 """" " Z5888 5,077,693 A 12/1991 Hardee 61211. 365/230.08 6816282 A 1,2000 Keeth 365,233 5,083,296 A 1/1992 Haraetal. .. .. 365/230.02 6’029’250 A 2,2000 Keeth """""""""""""" " 713,400 5,097,489 A 3/1992 T11661 ........... .. 375/120 ’ ’ """""""""""""" " .. 6,034,878 A 3/2000 Osakaetal. .. 365/52 5,111,386 A 5/1992 Fujlshlmaet a1. 395/425 5117389 A “992 Yiu 365%,‘ 6,041,419 A 3/2000 Huangetal. 713/401 5,124,589 A 6/1992 s11161111 et a1. 307/465 6’044’429 A 30000 Ry-an-et 31' 710/ 131 5140 688 A M992 WM t 1 395650 6,049,238 A 4/2000 ShlmlZuetal. .. 327/156 5,179,687 A M993 Hidlal‘iaeefél ~395/425 6,049,467 A 4/2000 Tamarkinetal. 361/790 5,260,905 A 11/1993 M611 ......... .. 365/230.05 6’065’092 A 5/2000 Roy- """"""" " 7115 5276 858 A M994 Oaketal 395650 6,067,594 A 5/2000 Pe11116 61211. ................ .. 710/126 5,301,278 A 4/1994 Bowater et a1 395/275 6’070’217 A 5/2000 Com-‘Olly 5305 278 A 41994 I 365030 03 6,075,393 A 6/2000 TOInltaet a1. ............... .. 327/153 5,311,483 A M994 Tna‘l’i‘zué'i ''''''''''''''' " 365/2'33 6,075,728 A 6/2000 111611e ......... .. 698/189.01 5,319,7555,323,358 A 6/1994 H616W11ZTodaetal. e161. 365/230.09395/325 88888886’105’144 A 888888,2000 Wu " 713,401 5,327,3905329484 A 7/1994M994 TakasugiTsuiki 365/230365/45 6,111,757’ ’ A 8/2000 Dell 6131""" " 361/737 5,339,276 A 8/1994 Takasugl 65/230.02 M15318 A 90000 Ke-eth """""""""""""" " 365/233 5 341341 A 8/l994 Fukuzo 365/233 6,124,727 A 9/2000 Brldgewater, Jr. et a1. 326/33 1 1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~ >1 5,345,5735,357,6215365 489 A 10/1994“A9949/1994 BoWden,COXJeong ............................ 111 e161. 365/230 ... 395/400 03 88881136,137,734’ ’ A l8,588810/2000 glnemumetal'SChOIleretal.""""""""" ". 365/194 5,379,4385,381,376 A 1/1995 BellKimetal. et a1. ....365/230.03 .. 395/800 88212,};6’154’821 A 18588811,2000 Bar?l'éé'é'l'l'"""""" """""""""" " " 711,170 5,381,538 A 1/1995 A1111111 et a1. .... .. 395/425 6’160’754 A 12,2000 Suh ' """"""""" " 365,233 5,384,745 A 1/1995 KOIliShi et a1. 365/230.03 ’ ’ """""" " 5386 375 A M995 Smith 364/748 6,172,895 B1 1/2001 B16w11 61211. 365/6.3 A 11 211/112 5,390,149 A “995 Vogley et a1~ ~~ 365/18901 6,191,997 B1 2/2001 s611 e161. ...... .. 365/230.04 5,392,239 A 2/1995 Margulis 61211. ....... .. 365/189.01 ’ ’ 5404338 A M995 M . t 1 365033 6,211,703 B1 4/2001 Takekumaetal. 326/101 5404463 A M995 Mmé‘e a' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ " 395625 6,219,384 B1 4/2001 Klizaetal. .... .. 375/258 5,422,858 A M995 M? uiiWeY ' 365033 6,226,723 B1 5/2001 Gustavsonetal. ......... .. 711/170 5428389 A M995 HOIZ “meta ~348/23l 6,226,757 B1 5/2001 Ware ........................... .. 713/503 5,430,676 A 7/1995 Ware .. 365/189.02 6232792 B1 5/2001 Sta" 5444 667 A M995 Ob 365033 6,233,157 B1 5/2001 YOOIletal. .................. .. 361/760 5455803 A 10,1995 K0331; 365,233 6,240,039 B1 5/2001 Lee e161.