Two step memory device command buffer apparatus and method and memory devices and computer systems using same

Claims

I claim:

1. A command buffer for a memory device adapted to receive a command packet of N M-bit command words on an M-bit bus, the command buffer comprising:

M shift registers each having an input terminal, an output terminal, and a clock terminal, the input terminal of each of the shift registers being coupled to a respective bit of the M-bit bus, each of the shift registers having at least N/Y stages, where the number of stages is an integer, a respective command word bit applied to the input terminal of each stage being shifted to an output terminal of each stage responsive to a clock signal adapted to be applied to the clock terminals of the shift registers, each of the shift register stages comprising:

a transfer gate having an input terminal adapted to receive one of the M-bits of the command word and transfer the command bit to an output terminal responsive to at least one first predetermined portion of the clock signal;

a first storage device coupled to the output terminal of the transfer gate, the first storage device storing the command word bit from the output terminal of the transfer gate and applying the stored command word bit to an output terminal of the first storage device;

a second transfer gate having an input terminal adapted to receive the stored command word bit from the output terminal of the first storage device and transfer the command bit to an output terminal responsive to at least one second predetermined portion of the clock signal; and

a second storage device coupled to the output terminal of the second transfer gate, the second storage device storing the command word bit from the output terminal of the second transfer gate and applying the stored command word bit to an output terminal of the second storage device;

Y storage registers, where Y is an integer number greater than 1, the Y storage registers together having (N)*M storage cells, each of the storage cells having an output terminal, an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of a respective shift register stage, and a load terminal, each of the storage cells storing a signal at the output terminal of the respective shift register stage responsive to a load signal applied to the load terminal of the storage cell; and

a control circuit having a clock terminal and at least one output terminal, the control circuit generating Y load signals after each N of the command words having been shifted into the shift registers, the load signals being sequentially applied to the load terminals of successive storage registers so that the Y storage registers together receive respective N command words as N command words are shifted into the shift registers.

2. The command buffer of claim 1 wherein the second transfer gate comprises first, second, third, and fourth switches connected in series with each other between first and second reference voltages, each of the switches having a control terminal, the control terminals of the second and third switches being coupled the output terminal of the first storage device to receive the stored command word bit from the first storage device, the second switch closing responsive to a command word bit of one value and the third switch closing responsive to a command word bit of another value, a node between the second and third switches being coupled to second storage device, the control terminals of the first and fourth switches being coupled to the clock signal to close the first and second switches responsive to at least one second predetermined portion of the clock signal.

3. The command buffer of claim 1, wherein N is equal to 4 and Y is equal to 2 so that the shift registers each have two stages, and there are two storage registers each of which has 2*M storage cells.

4. The command buffer of claim 1, further comprising a command decoder coupled to one of the storage registers that stores command words received from the shift registers before command words are stored in another shift register, the decoder decoding the command words stored in the storage register before command words have been stored in the other storage register.

5. The command buffer of claim 1, further comprising a comparison circuit coupled to a first of the storage registers that stores command words received from the shift registers before command words are stored in a second shift register, the comparison circuit determining if at least a portion of the command word stored in the first storage register has a specific value and generating a select signal in response thereto, the comparison circuit comprising

a latch storing the specific command word value and outputting a comparison word corresponding thereto; and

a comparator having a first input coupled to the first storage register and a second input coupled to the latch, the comparator comparing the comparison word with at least a portion of the command word stored in the first storage register and generating the select signal responsive to a match between the comparison word and the portion of the command word.

6. The command buffer of claim 5 wherein the comparator compares the comparison word with the portion of the command word before N/Y command words are stored in the second shift register.

7. The command buffer of claim 5 wherein the comparator comprises:

an exclusive OR gate for each compared bit of the command word, each exclusive OR gate having a pair of input terminals receiving a bit of the comparison word and a corresponding bit of the command word, the exclusive OR gates collectively generating the select signal responsive to a match between all of the compared bits of the comparison word and the bits of the command word.

8. The command buffer of claim 1, further comprising an enable circuit for generating a select signal that enables functions on an integrated circuit containing the command buffer, the enable circuit comprising:

a first decoder circuit having an input bus coupled to one of the storage registers, the first decoder generating a load signal at an output terminal responsive to at least a portion of the command word having a predetermined value;

an ID register having an input bus coupled to the respective output terminals of one of the storage registers, the ID register storing at least a portion of a command word received from the storage register responsive to the load signal and generating on an output bus a comparison word corresponding thereto; and

a comparator having a first input bus coupled to a first of the storage registers that stores command words received from the shift registers before command words are stored in a second shift register, the comparator further having a second input bus coupled to the output bus of the ID register, the comparator comparing the comparison word with at least a portion of the command word received from the first storage register and generating the select signal responsive to a match between the comparison word and the portion of the command word.

9. The command buffer of claim 8 wherein the comparator comprises:

an exclusive OR gate for each compared bit of the command word received from the first storage register, each exclusive OR gate having a pair of input terminals receiving a bit of the comparison word and a corresponding bit of the command word, the exclusive OR gates collectively generating the select signal responsive to a match between all of the compared bits of the comparison word and the bits of the command word.

10. The command buffer of claim 1 wherein the command word bits applied to the input terminal of respective shift registers is shifted through two stages of the shift register for each cycle of the clock signal.

11. A command buffer for a memory device adapted to receive a command packet of N M-bit command words on an M-bit bus, the command buffer comprising:

M shift registers each having an input terminal, an output terminal, and a clock terminal, the input terminal of each of the shift registers being coupled to a respective bit of the M-bit bus, each of the shift registers having at least N/Y stages, where the number of stages is an integer, a respective command word bit applied to the input terminal of each stage being shifted to an output terminal of each stage responsive to a clock signal adapted to be applied to the clock terminals of the shift registers;

Y storage registers, where Y is an integer number greater than 1, the storage registers together having (N)*M storage cells, each of the storage cells having an output terminal, an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of a respective shift register stage, and a load terminal, each of the storage cells storing a signal at the output terminal of the respective shift register stage responsive to a load signal applied to the load terminal of the storage cell; and

a control circuit having a clock terminal and at least one output terminal, the control circuit generating Y load signals after each N of the command words having been shifted into the shift registers, the load signals being sequentially applied to the load terminals of successive storage registers so that the Y storage registers together receive respective N command words as N command words are shifted into the shift registers, the control circuit further comprising a shift register having a start terminal adapted to receive a start signal, the shift register having N stages with the start signal applied to an input terminal of the first stage being shifted from one stage to the next responsive to clock signals, the load signals being generated responsive to the start signal being shifted to the output of respective stages of the shift register.

12. The command buffer of claim 11 wherein the control circuit further comprises a clock sync circuit synchronizing the start signal to the clock signal, the clock sync circuit comprising a logic signal receiving the clock signal and the output of one of the shift register stages, the logic circuit generating the load signals on a predetermined edge of the clock signal after the start signal has been shifted out of a respective shift register stage.

13. The command buffer of claim 11, wherein N is equal to 4 and Y is equal to 2 so that the shift registers each have two stages, and there are two storage registers each of which has 2*M storage cells.

14. The command buffer of claim 11, further comprising a command decoder coupled to one of the storage registers that stores command words received from the shift registers before command words are stored in another shift register, the decoder decoding the command words stored in the storage register before command words have been stored in the other storage register.

15. The command buffer of claim 11, further comprising a comparison circuit coupled to a first of the storage registers that stores command words received from the shift registers before command words are stored in a second shift register, the comparison circuit determining if at least a portion of the command word stored in the first storage register has a specific value and generating a select signal in response thereto, the comparison circuit comprising

a latch storing the specific command word value and outputting a comparison word corresponding thereto; and

a comparator having a first input coupled to the first storage register and a second input coupled to the latch, the comparator comparing the comparison word with at least a portion of the command word stored in the first storage register and generating the select signal responsive to a match between the comparison word and the portion of the command word.

16. The command buffer of claim 15 wherein the comparator compares the comparison word with the portion of the command word before N/Y command words are stored in the second shift register.

17. The command buffer of claim 15 wherein the comparator comprises:

an exclusive OR gate for each compared bit of the command word, each exclusive OR gate having a pair of input terminals receiving a bit of the comparison word and a corresponding bit of the command word, the exclusive OR gates collectively generating the select signal responsive to a match between all of the compared bits of the comparison word and the bits of the command word.

18. The command buffer of claim 11, further comprising an enable circuit for generating a select signal that enables functions on an integrated circuit containing the command buffer, the enable circuit comprising:

a first decoder circuit having an input bus coupled to one of the storage registers, the first decoder generating a load signal at an output terminal responsive to at least a portion of the command word having a predetermined value;

an ID register having an input bus coupled to the respective output terminals of one of the storage registers, the ID register storing at least a portion of a command word received from the storage register responsive to the load signal and generating on an output bus a comparison word corresponding thereto; and

a comparator having a first input bus coupled to a first of the storage registers that stores command words received from the shift registers before command words are stored in a second shift register, the comparator further having a second input bus coupled to the output bus of the ID register, the comparator comparing the comparison word with at least a portion of the command word received from the first storage register and generating the select signal responsive to a match between the comparison word and the portion of the command word.

19. The command buffer of claim 18 wherein the comparator comprises:

an exclusive OR gate for each compared bit of the command word received from the first storage register, each exclusive OR gate having a pair of input terminals receiving a bit of the comparison word and a corresponding bit of the command word, the exclusive OR gates collectively generating the select signal responsive to a match between all of the compared bits of the comparison word and the bits of the command word.

20. The command buffer of claim 11 wherein the command word bits applied to the input terminal of respective shift registers is shifted through two stages of the shift register for each cycle of the clock signal.

21. A command buffer comprising:

A shift register having an input bus adapted to receive a four command word command packet, and a clock terminal adapted to receive a clock signal, the shift register having two stages with a command word applied to an input bus of each stage being shifted to an output bus of each stage responsive to the clock signal;

first and second storage registers each of which has sufficient storage cells to store two command words, each of the storage cells having an output bus, an input bus coupled to the output bus of a respective shift register stage, and a load terminal, each of the storage registers storing command words received from the output buses of the respective shift register stages responsive to first and second load signals applied to the load terminal of the first and second storage registers, respectively; and

a control circuit having a clock terminal and at least one output terminal, the control circuit generating the first load signal after the first two command words of each command packet have been shifted into the shift register and generating the second load signal after the second two command words of each command packet have been shifted into the shift register, the control circuit further comprising a shift register having a start terminal adapted to receive a start signal, the shift register having a plurality of stages with the start signal applied to an input terminal of the first stage being shifted from one stage to the next responsive to the clock signals, the first load signal being generated responsive to the start signal being shifted to the output of first shift register and the second load signal being generated responsive to the start signal being shifted to the output of third shift register.

22. The command buffer of claim 21, further comprising a command decoder coupled to the first storage register, the decoder decoding the command words of a command packet that are stored in the first storage register before command words of the command packet have been stored in the second storage register.

23. The command buffer of claim 21, further comprising a comparison circuit coupled to a first storage register, the comparison circuit determining if at least a portion of the command word stored in the first storage register has a specific value and generating a select signal in response thereto, the comparison circuit comprising

a latch storing the specific command word value and outputting a comparison word corresponding thereto; and

a comparator having a first input coupled to the first storage register and a second input coupled to the latch, the comparator comparing the comparison word with at least a portion of the command word stored in the first storage register and generating the select signal responsive to a match between the comparison word and the portion of the command word.

24. The command buffer of claim 23 wherein the comparator compares the comparison word with the portion of the command word before command words are stored in the second shift register.

25. The command buffer of claim 21, further comprising an enable circuit for generating a select signal that enables functions on an integrated circuit containing the command buffer, the enable circuit comprising:

a first decoder circuit having an input bus coupled to one of the storage registers, the first decoder generating a load signal at an output terminal responsive to at least a portion of the command word having a predetermined value;

an ID register having an input bus coupled to the respective output terminals of one of the storage registers, the ID register storing at least a portion of a command word received from the storage register responsive to the load signal and generating on an output bus a comparison word corresponding thereto; and

a comparator having a first input bus coupled to a first storage register and a second input bus coupled to the output bus of the ID register, the comparator comparing the comparison word with at least a portion of the command word received from the first storage register and generating the select signal responsive to a match between the comparison word and the portion of the command word.

26. The command buffer of claim 25 wherein the comparator compares the comparison word with the portion of the portion of the command word before command word in the command packet are stored in the second shift register.

27. The command buffer of claim 21 wherein the control circuit further comprises a clock sync circuit synchronizing the start signal to the clock signal, the clock sync circuit comprising a logic signal receiving the clock signal and the output of one of the shift register stages, the logic circuit generating the load signals on a predetermined edge of the clock signal after the start signal has been shifted out of a respective shift register stage.

28. The command buffer of claim 21 wherein the command words are shifted through two stages of the shift register for each cycle of the clock signal.

29. A memory device, comprising:

at least one array of memory cells adapted to store data at a location determined by a row address and a column address responsive to a command word;

a row address circuit adapted to receive and decode the row address, and select a row of memory cells corresponding to the row address responsive to the command word;

a column address circuit adapted to receive or apply data to one of the memory cells in the selected row corresponding to the column address responsive to the command word;

a data path circuit adapted to couple data between an external terminal and the column address circuit responsive to the command word; and

a command buffer adapted to receive N M-bit command words received on an M-bit bus, the command buffer comprising:

M shift registers each having an input terminal, an output terminal, and a clock terminal, the input of each of the shift registers being coupled to a respective bit of the M-bit bus, each of the shift registers having at least N/Y stages, where the number of stages is an integer, a respective command word bit applied to the input terminal of each stage being shifted to an output terminal of each stage responsive to a clock signal adapted to be applied to the clock terminals of the shift registers, each of the shift register stages comprising:

transfer gate having an input terminal adapted to receive one of the M-bits of the command word and transfer the command bit to an output terminal responsive to at least one first predetermined portion of the clock signal;

a first storage device coupled to the output terminal of the transfer gate, the first storage device storing the command word bit from the output terminal of the transfer gate and applying the stored command word bit to an output terminal of the first storage device;

a second transfer gate having an input terminal adapted to receive the stored command word bit from the output terminal of the first storage device and transfer the command bit to an output terminal responsive to at least one second predetermined portion of the clock signal; and

a second storage device coupled to the output terminal of the second transfer gate, the second storage device storing the command word bit from the output terminal of the second transfer gate and applying the stored command word bit to an output terminal of the second storage device;

Y storage registers, where Y is an integer number greater than 1, the Y storage registers together having (N)*M storage cells, each of the storage cells having an output terminal, an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of a respective shift register stage, and a load terminal, each of the storage cells storing a signal at the output terminal of the respective shift register stage responsive to a load signal applied to the load terminal of the storage cell; and

a control circuit having a clock terminal and at least one output terminal, the control circuit generating Y load signals after each N of the command words having been shifted into the shift registers, the load signals being sequentially applied to the load terminals of successive storage registers so that the Y storage registers together receive respective N command words as N command words are shifted into the shift registers.

30. The memory device of claim 29 wherein the second transfer gate comprises first, second, third, and fourth switches connected in series with each other between first and secon