US 12,125,518 B2
Method and apparatus of receive enable margining in memory interface
Soon Chieh Lim, Bayan Lepas (MY); Hoong Chin Ng, Bayan Lepas (MY); Ching Liang Ooi, Bayan Lepas (MY); and Chee Hak Teh, Bayan Lepas (MY)
Assigned to SkyeChip Sdn Bhd, Bayan Lepas (MY)
Filed by SKYECHIP SDN BHD, Bayan Lepas (MY)
Filed on Apr. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/723,757.
Claims priority of application No. PI2022000379 (MY), filed on Jan. 20, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0230628 A1, Jul. 20, 2023
Int. Cl. G11C 11/4076 (2006.01)
CPC G11C 11/4076 (2013.01) 4 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of calibrating memory interface, comprising:
i. a memory controller generating a gated strobe signal for DQ data from an external memory device, wherein said gated strobe signal is gated by a DQS signal from said external memory device and a receive enable signal, wherein said receive enable signal is generated by a receive enable signal generation circuit in the memory controller after propagating through a first delay element in said memory controller;
ii. said memory controller having a first sampling element, sampling a string of pulses in said DQS signal from said external memory device to obtain a value of a first delay element when a sampling output value of said first sampling element is 1;
iii. said memory controller adjusting said value of the first delay element to position a delay output of the first delay element earlier, to substantially centre of a first read preamble phase of the DQS signal from said external memory device;
iv. said memory controller, using a third sampling element, sampling the string of pulses in said DQS signal from said external memory device to obtain a value of a third delay element when a sampling output value of said third sampling element is a transition from a first phase of read preamble to a second phase of read preamble; wherein said third delay element is connected after said first delay element;
v. said memory controller adjusting a second delay element so that a sampling output value of a second sampling element is in a suitable position before a transition from a low phase of read preamble to a high phase of a first DQS pulse of the string of pulses in said DQS signal; and said memory controller adjusting a fourth delay element so that a sampling output value of a fourth sampling element is in a suitable position after a transition from the low phase of read preamble to the high phase of the first DQS pulse; wherein said sampling output value of said second sampling element and fourth sampling output complement each other; wherein said second delay element is connected between said first delay element and third delay element; wherein said fourth delay element is connected after said third delay element;
vi. said memory controller periodically monitoring said sampling output value of said second sampling element and sampling output value of said fourth sampling element to ensure that said sampling output value of said second sampling element and the sampling output value of said fourth sampling element complement each other;
wherein (vi) is repeated as the memory controller generates said gated strobe signal.