Method and apparatus for multiple latency synchronous dynamic random access memory

Claim 2

A synchronous dynamic random access memory integrated circuit (DRAM) responsive to a clock signal, comprising: a command input terminal to receive commands; a clock input terminal for receiving the clock signal; a latency select circuit coupled to receive an externally supplied signal, the latency select circuit producing a first or second latency select signal in response to the externally supplied signal; a first latency circuit coupled to receive the clock signal, commands from the command input terminal and the first latency select signal, the first latency circuit producing a first set of control signals at a first set of signal times relative to the clock signal in response to the commands, the clock signal and the first latency select signal; a second latency circuit coupled to receive the clock signal, commands from the command input terminal and the second latency select signal, the second latency circuit producing a second set of control signals at a second set of signal times relative to the clock signal in response to the commands and the second latency select signal; a memory array; a data bus for providing data to and receiving data from the memory array; and an interface circuit coupled between the memory array and the data bus, the interface circuit further being coupled to receive one of the first or second set of control signals, the interface circuit controlling transfer of data between the data bus and the memory array in response to the received set of control signals.

Claim 3

The multiple latency synchronous dynamic random access memory of claim 1 wherein the first latency circuit includes a first timing circuit establishing the first set of signal times for the first set of control signals and wherein the second latency circuit includes a second timing circuit establishing the second set of signal times for the second set of control signals.

Claim 4

The synchronous DRAM of claim 2 wherein the timing circuit of the second latency circuit includes: a delay selector connected to produce a write delay signal in response to a write command and to produce a read delay signal in response to a read command; a write delay circuit controlling a first group of signal times in the second set of signal times in response to the write delay signal; and a read delay circuit controlling the first group of signal times in the second set of signal times in response to the read delay signal.

Claim 5

The synchronous DRAM of claim 1, further including an input data path connected to provide data to the interface circuit from the data bus, the input data path including: a first slave register; and a master register having a clock input connected to receive one of the control signals in the first or second sets of control signals from the first or second latency circuits respectively, the master register further being coupled to transmit input data from the data bus to the slave register in response to the received one of the control signals.

Claim 6

The synchronous DRAM of claim 4 wherein the input data path further includes a masking circuit connected to receive mask data from the data bus and control signals from the first or second latency select circuit, the masking circuit being connected to selectively inhibit passage of data through the input data path to the memory array in response to the control signals.

Claim 7

The synchronous DRAM of claim 1, further including an interim detector coupled to detect a load mode command at the command input terminal, the interim detector further being connected to supply an enabling signal to the latency select circuit in response to the load mode command, wherein the latency select circuit is enabled by the enabling signal to switch between the first and second latency select signals.

Claim 8

The synchronous DRAM of claim 1, further including a common control signal bus providing the first and second latency signals to the interface circuit.

Claim 9

The synchronous DRAM of claim 1, further including: a data output path connecting the interface circuit to the data bus to provide data from the interface circuit to the data bus, the data output path including a direct path, a bypass path and a path selector circuit coupled to the direct path and the bypass path, the path selector being connected to receive the first or second latency select signal, the path selector enabling the direct path in response to the second latency signal and enabling the bypass path in response to the first latency signal.

Claim 10

The synchronous DRAM of claim 8 wherein the direct path includes a delay circuit and the bypass path bypasses the delay circuit.

Claim 11

A synchronous dynamic random access memory integrated circuit (DRAM), comprising: an array of memory cells; a command bus connected to provide externally generated command signals for commanding data transfer operations; a command decoder having a control signal output and a command input coupled to receive the command signals from the command bus, the command decoder producing control signals corresponding to the provided command signals;: a latency select circuit coupled to receive at least one of the control signals from the command decoder, the latency select circuit producing a first latency signal or a second latency signal in response to the received control signal; a data bus; and a data input circuit coupled to receive the control signals from the command decoder and the first or second latency signal from the latency select circuit, the data input circuit further being coupled between the data bus and the memory array to transfer data from the data bus to the memory array, the data input circuit imposing a first delay on the transfer of data from the data bus to the memory array in response to the first latency signal and imposing a second delay on the transfer of data from the data bus to the memory array in response to the second latency signal, the data input circuit further including a master register coupled to receive data from the data bus and a first slave register coupled to receive data from the master register.

Claim 12

A synchronous dynamic random access memory integrated circuit (DRAM), comprising: an array of memory cells; a command bus connected to provide externally generated command signals for commanding data transfer operations; a command decoder having a control signal output and a command input coupled to receive the command signals from the command bus, the command decoder producing control signals corresponding to the provided command signals;: a latency select circuit coupled to receive at least one of the control signals from the command decoder, the latency select circuit producing a first latency signal or a second latency signal in response to the received control signal; a data bus; and a data input circuit coupled to receive the control signals from the command decoder and the first or second latency signal from the latency select circuit, the data input circuit further being coupled between the data bus and the memory array to transfer data from the data bus to the memory array, the data input circuit imposing a first delay on the transfer of data from the data bus to the memory array in response to the first latency signal and imposing a second delay on the transfer of data from the data bus to the memory array in response to the second latency signal, the data input circuit further including a master register coupled to receive data from the data bus and a first slave register coupled to receive data from the master register.

Claim 13

The synchronous DRAM of claim 10 wherein the master register includes a transfer input connected to receive one of the control signals from the command decoder, the master register transmitting data to the first slave register in response to the received one of the control signals.

Claim 14

A synchronous dynamic random access memory integrated circuit (DRAM) comprising: an array of memory cells; a command bus connected to provide externally generated command signals for commanding data transfer operations; a command decoder having a control signal output and a command input coupled to receive the command signals from the command bus, the command decoder producing control signals corresponding to the provided command signals; a latency select circuit coupled to receive at least one of the control signals from the command decoder, the latency select circuit producing a first latency signal or a second latency signal in response to the received control signal; a data bus; a data input circuit coupled to receive the control signals from the command decoder and the first or second latency signal from the latency select circuit, the data input circuit further being coupled between the data bus and the memory array to transfer data from the data bus to the memory array, the data input circuit imposing a first delay on the transfer of data from the data bus to the memory array in response to the first latency signal and imposing a second delay on the transfer of data from the data bus to the memory array in response to the second latency signal; and a data output a data output circuit including a first transfer path coupled between the data bus and the memory array, a second transfer path coupled between the data bus and the memory array, and a select circuit coupled to receive the first or second latency signal, the selector circuit further being connected to enable one or the other of the first and second transfer paths in response to the received first or second latency signal.

Claim 15

A synchronous dynamic random access memory integrated circuit (DRAM) comprising: an array of memory cells; a command bus connected to provide externally generated command signals for commanding data transfer operations; a command decoder having a control signal output and a command input coupled to receive the command signals from the command bus, the command decoder producing control signals corresponding to the provided command signals; a latency select circuit coupled to receive at least one of the control signals from the command decoder, the latency select circuit producing a first latency signal or a second latency signal in response to the received control signal; a data bus; a data input circuit coupled to receive the control signals from the command decoder and the first or second latency signal from the latency select circuit, the data input circuit further being coupled between the data bus and the memory array to transfer data from the data bus to the memory array, the data input circuit imposing a first delay on the transfer of data from the data bus to the memory array in response to the first latency signal and imposing a second delay on the transfer of data from the data bus to the memory array in response to the second latency signal; and a data output a data output circuit including a first transfer path coupled between the data bus and the memory array, a second transfer path coupled between the data bus and the memory array, and a select circuit coupled to receive the first or second latency signal, the selector circuit further being connected to enable one or the other of the first and second transfer paths in response to the received first or second latency signal.

Claim 16

The synchronous DRAM of claim 12 wherein the first transfer path includes a data register having transfer input connected to receive one of the control signals from the command decoder, the register accepting and outputting data in response to the received one on the control signals.

Claim 17

The synchronous DRAM of claim 13 wherein the second transfer path includes a bypass circuit connected to bypass the data register.

Claim 18

A data output circuit for a multiple latency synchronous dynamic random access memory integrated circuit (DRAM) having an input/output interface, a data bus, and a latency select input, comprising: first output path having a first path time coupled between the data bus and the input/output interface; a second output path having a second path time coupled between the data bus and the input/output interface; and a selector circuit coupled to the latency select input to receive a latency signal indicating a latency mode, the selector circuit further being connected to enable one or the other of the first and second transfer paths in response to the received latency signal.

Claim 19

A data output circuit for a multiple latency synchronous dynamic random access memory integrated circuit (DRAM) having an input/output interface, a data bus, and a latency select input, comprising: first output path having a first path time coupled between the data bus and the input/output interface; a second output path having a second path time coupled between the data bus and the input/output interface; and a selector circuit coupled to the latency select input to receive a latency signal indicating a latency mode, the selector circuit further being connected to enable one or the other of the first and second transfer paths in response to the received latency signal.

Claim 20

The data output circuit of claim 15 wherein the first transfer path includes a data register and the second transfer path includes a bypass circuit connected to selectively bypass the data register in response to the received latency signal.

Claim 21

The data output circuit of claim 16 wherein the first transfer path further includes a data gate connected to selectively block data from following the first data path in response to the received latency signal.

Claim 24

The method of claim 18, further including the steps of: if the first set of timed control signals is selected, transferring the retrieved data to an output data bus with a first delay; and if the second set of timed control signals is selected, transferring the retrieved data to the output data bus with a second delay, different from the first delay.

Claim 25

The method of claim 19 wherein the step of transferring the retrieved data to the output data bus with a second delay comprises directing the retrieved data along a bypass path.

Claim 28

The method of claim 21 wherein the step of producing a set of command signals includes the steps of: producing interim command signals in response to the received command; and feeding back one of the control signals in the second set of control signals to selectively pass the interim command signals to produce the set of command signals.