Selective forwarding of a strobe based on a predetermined delay following a memory read command

Claim 2

A controller comprising: means for selectively forwarding a strobe signal from a memory device; means for capturing a first bit value, according to the forwarded strobe signal, in a data signal from the memory device; means for controlling the selectively forwarding means so that the strobe signal is not forwarded until after a predetermined time interval following a read command to the memory device; and means for determining a value representative of a roundtrip flight time interval of a reference pulse sent from the controller to the memory device and back to the controller, wherein the predetermined time interval is at least as long as the roundtrip time interval.

Claim 3

The controller of claim 1 wherein the predetermined time interval is at least as long as the roundtrip time interval plus a memory read latency interval of the memory device.

Claim 4

The controller of claim 2 wherein the memory read latency interval is at least as long as a substantial portion of a preamble time interval, and wherein the strobe signal is (1) deasserted by the memory device during each preamble time interval that immediately precedes each asserted pulse in the strobe signal, and (2) neither asserted or deasserted by the memory device prior to each preamble time interval in the strobe signal.

Claim 5

The controller of claim 1 further comprising: means for delaying the forwarded strobe signal and being coupled to the capture means so that the bit value is captured according to the delayed forwarded strobe signal.

Claim 6

The controller of claim 4 wherein the control means is further coupled to the delay means to further control the selectively forwarding means so that the strobe signal is no longer forwarded after detecting that the delayed forwarded strobe signal has been deasserted.

Claim 7

The controller of claim 1 wherein the capture means is to further capture a second bit value, according to the forwarded strobe signal, in the data signal from the memory device, wherein the first bit value is to be captured in response to a low/high to high/low transition of a pulse in the forwarded strobe signal and the second bit value is to be captured in response to a high/low to low/high transition of the pulse.

Claim 10

The method of claim 7 wherein the predetermined time interval is at least as long as the roundtrip time interval plus a memory read latency interval of the memory device.

Claim 11

The method of claim 8 wherein the memory read latency interval is at least as long as a substantial portion of a preamble time interval, wherein the strobe signal is (1) deasserted during each preamble time interval that immediately precedes each asserted pulse in the strobe signal, and (2) neither asserted or deasserted prior to each preamble time interval in the strobe signal.

Claim 12

The method of claim 7 further comprising: delaying the forwarded strobe signal so that the bit value is captured according to the delayed forwarded strobe signal.

Claim 13

The method of claim 10 further comprising: no longer forwarding the strobe signal after detecting that the delayed forwarded strobe signal has been deasserted.

Claim 14

A controller comprising: a gated receiver having an output to forward a strobe signal from a memory device, wherein the output goes to a predetermined logic state when the strobe signal is not being forwarded; a latch circuit having a clock input coupled to the output of the gated receiver and a data input to capture a first bit value in a data signal from the memory device; and a delay circuit to provide a delay of a predetermined time interval to a memory read command, the delay circuit having an output coupled to a control input of the gated receiver to enable the output of the receiver.

Claim 15

A controller comprising: a gated receiver having an output to forward a strobe signal from a memory device, wherein the output goes to a predetermined logic state when the strobe signal is not being forwarded; a latch circuit having a clock input coupled to the output of the gated receiver and a data input to capture a first bit value in a data signal from the memory device; and a delay circuit to provide a delay of a predetermined time interval to a memory read command, the delay circuit having an output coupled to a control input of the gated receiver to enable the output of the receiver.

Claim 16

The controller of claim 12 further comprising: a time interval measurement circuit coupled to determine a value representative of a roundtrip flight time interval of a reference pulse sent from the controller to the memory device and back to the controller, the time interval measurement circuit being further coupled to the delay circuit so that the predetermined time interval is at least as long as the roundtrip flight time interval.

Claim 17

The controller of claim 13 wherein the predetermined time interval is at least as long as the roundtrip time interval plus a memory read latency interval of the memory device.

Claim 18

The controller of claim 14 wherein the memory read latency interval is at least as long as a substantial portion of a preamble time interval, wherein the strobe signal is (1) deasserted during each preamble time interval that immediately precedes each asserted pulse in the strobe signal, and (2) neither asserted or deasserted prior to each preamble time interval in the strobe signal.

Claim 19

The controller of claim 12 further comprising: a delay block having an input coupled to the output of the gated receiver and an output coupled to the clock input of the latch circuit.

Claim 20

The controller of claim 16 further comprising: an edge detector having an input coupled to an output of the delay block and, an output coupled to the control input of the gated receiver to disable the output of the gated receiver.

Claim 21

An electrical system comprising: a printed wiring board on which a processor and a system chipset are installed, the system chipset includes a memory controller which allows communication between the processor and a number of memory modules installed in a memory bus of the printed wiring board, each memory module having a memory device that can be accessed by the processor, wherein the memory controller further includes a gated receiver having an output to forward a strobe signal from the memory device, wherein the output goes to a predetermined logic state when the strobe signal is not being forwarded, a latch circuit having a clock input coupled to the output of the gated receiver and a data input coupled to capture a first bit value in a data signal from the memory device, and a delay circuit to provide a delay of a predetermined time interval to a memory read command, the delay circuit having an output coupled to a control input of the gated receiver to enable the output of the receiver.

Claim 22

An electrical system comprising: a printed wiring board on which a processor and a system chipset are installed, the system chipset includes a memory controller which allows communication between the processor and a number of memory modules installed in a memory bus of the printed wiring board, each memory module having a memory device that can be accessed by the processor, wherein the memory controller further includes a gated receiver having an output to forward a strobe signal from the memory device, wherein the output goes to a predetermined logic state when the strobe signal is not being forwarded, a latch circuit having a clock input coupled to the output of the gated receiver and a data input coupled to capture a first bit value in a data signal from the memory device, and a delay circuit to provide a delay of a predetermined time interval to a memory read command, the delay circuit having an output coupled to a control input of the gated receiver to enable the output of the receiver.

Claim 23

The electrical system of claim 18 wherein the memory controller further comprises: a time interval measurement circuit coupled to determine a value representative of a roundtrip flight time interval of a reference pulse sent from the controller to the memory device and back to the controller, the time interval measurement circuit being further coupled to the delay circuit so that the predetermined time interval is at least as long as the roundtrip flight time interval.

Claim 24

The electrical system of claim 19 wherein the predetermined time interval is at least as long as the roundtrip time interval plus a memory read latency interval of the memory device.

Claim 25

The electrical system of claim 20 wherein the memory read latency interval is at least as long as a substantial portion of a preamble time interval, wherein the strobe signal is (1) deasserted during each preamble time interval that immediately precedes each asserted pulse in the strobe signal, and (2) neither asserted or deasserted prior to each preamble time interval in the strobe signal.

Claim 26

A controller comprising: means for selectively forwarding a strobe signal from a memory device; means for capturing a first bit value, according to the forwarded strobe signal, in a data signal from the memory device; means for controlling the selectively forwarding means so that the strobe signal is not forwarded until after a predetermined time interval following a read command to the memory device; and means for delaying the forwarded strobe signal and being coupled to the capture means so that the bit value is captured according to the delayed forwarded strobe signal, wherein the control means is further coupled to the delay means to further control the selectively forwarding means so that the strobe signal is no longer forwarded after detecting that the delayed forwarded strobe signal has been deasserted.

Claim 27

A controller comprising: means for selectively forwarding a strobe signal from a memory device; means for capturing a first bit value, according to the forwarded strobe signal, in a data signal from the memory device; means for controlling the selectively forwarding means so that the strobe signal is not forwarded until after a predetermined time interval following a read command to the memory device; and means for delaying the forwarded strobe signal and being coupled to the capture means so that the bit value is captured according to the delayed forwarded strobe signal, wherein the control means is further coupled to the delay means to further control the selectively forwarding means so that the strobe signal is no longer forwarded after detecting that the delayed forwarded strobe signal has been deasserted.

Claim 28

The controller of claim 22 further comprising: means for determining a value representative of a roundtrip flight time interval of a reference pulse sent from the controller to the memory device and back to the controller, wherein the predetermined time interval is at least as long as the roundtrip time interval.

Claim 29

The controller of claim 23 wherein the predetermined time interval is at least as long as the roundtrip time interval plus a memory read latency interval of the memory device.

Claim 30

The controller of claim 24 wherein the memory read latency interval is at least as long as a substantial portion of a preamble time interval, and wherein the strobe signal is (1) deasserted by the memory device during each preamble time interval that immediately precedes each asserted pulse in the strobe signal, and (2) neither asserted or deasserted by the memory device prior to each preamble time interval in the strobe signal.

Claim 31

The controller of claim 22 wherein the capture means is to further capture a second bit value, according to the forwarded strobe signal, in the data signal from the memory device, wherein the first bit value is to be captured in response to a low/high to high/low transition of a pulse in the forwarded strobe signal and the second bit value is to be captured in response to a high/low to low/high transition of the pulse.

Claim 34

The method of claim 27 further comprising: transmitting a reference pulse from a controller to the memory device and back to the controller, and measuring a value that includes the roundtrip flight time interval of the pulse, wherein the predetermined time interval is at least as long as the roundtrip time interval.

Claim 35

The method of claim 28 wherein the predetermined time interval is at least as long as the roundtrip time interval plus a memory read latency interval of the memory device.

Claim 36

The method of claim 29 wherein the memory read latency interval is at least as long as a substantial portion of a preamble time interval, wherein the strobe signal is (1) deasserted during each preamble time interval that immediately precedes each asserted pulse in the strobe signal, and (2) neither asserted or deasserted prior to each preamble time interval in the strobe signal.