Approach for allocating virtual bank managers within a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) controller to physical banks within a DRAM,申请号US201213517534-传众专利搜索

Approach for allocating virtual bank managers within a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) controller to physical banks within a DRAM

申请公布号：US9274985(B2)

申请号：US201213517534

申请日期：2012.06.13

申请公布日期：2016.03.01

申请人：

NVIDIA Corporation

发明人：Yu Shu-Yi;Gummadi Ram;Edmondson John H.

分类号：G06F12/00;G06F13/16;G06F12/06;G06F12/10;G06F9/50

主分类号：G06F12/00

代理机构：

Artegis Law Group, LLP

代理人：Artegis Law Group, LLP

地址：Santa Clara CA US

摘要：Banks within a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) are managed with virtual bank managers. A DRAM controller receives a new memory access request to DRAM including a plurality of banks. If the request accesses a location in DRAM where no virtual bank manager includes parameters for the corresponding DRAM page, then a virtual bank manager is allocated to the physical bank associated with the DRAM page. The bank manager is initialized to include parameters needed by the DRAM controller to access the DRAM page. The memory access request is then processed using the parameters associated with the virtual bank manager. One advantage of the disclosed technique is that the banks of a DRAM module are controlled with fewer bank managers than in previous DRAM controller designs. As a result, less surface area on the DRAM controller circuit is dedicated to bank managers.

主权项：1. A computer-implemented method for allocating virtual bank managers within a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) controller, the method comprising: receiving a first memory access request directed to a DRAM comprising a plurality of physical banks; identifying a first physical bank within the plurality of physical banks that is associated with the first memory access request; determining whether a first virtual bank manager included in a plurality of virtual bank managers that reside within the DRAM controller is available for allocation to the first physical bank; if the first virtual bank manager is available, then: allocating the first virtual bank manager to the first physical bank; andassociating the first virtual bank manager with the first memory access request; or if the first virtual bank manager is not available, then: waiting until the first virtual bank manager is available for allocation;allocating the first virtual bank manager to the first physical bank; andassociating the first virtual bank manager with the first memory access request.