EP-4742049-A1 - METHOD AND APPARATUS WITH PROCESSING-IN-MEMORY REQUEST GENERATION

EP4742049A1EP 4742049 A1EP4742049 A1EP 4742049A1EP-4742049-A1

Abstract

A method and apparatus for processing-in-memory (PIM) are disclosed. A method of generating a PIM request for an in-memory operation includes receiving configuration information for generating a PIM request from a processor, obtaining information about a PIM request command from a command table, based on the configuration information, and generating a PIM request based on the information about a PIM request command.

Inventors

PAIK, Yoonah
CHA, SANGHOON

Assignees

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20251112

Claims (15)

A method of generating a processing-in-memory, PIM, request for an in-memory operation, the method comprising: receiving, from a processor, a configuration for generating a PIM request; obtaining information about a PIM request command from a command table, the obtaining based on the configuration information; and generating a PIM request based on the obtained information about the PIM request command.
The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the information about the PIM request command comprises obtaining the information about the PIM request command from the command table, based either on a start address of the command table comprised in the configuration or on a triggering signal to generate a PIM request received from the processor.
The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the generating the PIM request comprises: generating address information corresponding to the PIM request, based on information indicating an address range comprised in the information about the PIM request command and address mapping information comprised in the configuration information; and generating the PIM request comprising the generated address information, wherein the address mapping information preferably comprises mapping information of a memory field and a bit of an address and increment mode information of an address by memory fields.
The method of one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: transmitting the PIM request to a memory controller configured to control a PIM memory configured to perform an in-memory operation.
The method of one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the processor stores the command table.
The method of one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the command table comprises information about one or more PIM request commands.
The method of one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the information about the PIM request command comprises a type of the PIM request command, an address of the PIM request command, or data to be operated on by the PIM request command.
The method of claim 7, wherein the information about the PIM request command further comprises fence information indicating whether to perform a memory fence operation for the PIM request command, or wherein the type indicates an in-memory operation type or indicates a general memory operation type.
An electronic device for processing-in-memory, PIM, the electronic device comprising: a processor; a memory controller; a PIM memory; and a PIM request generation module, wherein the processor is configured to transmit a configuration to the PIM request generation module, and the PIM request generation module is configured to perform an operation of obtaining, based on the configuration, information about a PIM request command from a command table, and is configured to perform an operation of generating a PIM request based on the PIM request command.
The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the PIM request is transmitted to the memory controller configured to control the PIM memory.
The electronic device of claim 9 or 10, wherein the obtaining the information about the PIM request command comprises obtaining the information about the PIM request command from the command table, based on a start address of the command table comprised in the configuration information.
The electronic device of one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the generating the PIM request comprises: generating address information corresponding to the PIM request, based on information indicating an address range comprised in the information about the PIM request command and address mapping information comprised in the configuration information; and generating the PIM request comprising the generated address information, wherein the address mapping information preferably comprises mapping information of a memory field and a bit of an address and increment mode information of an address by memory fields.
The electronic device of one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the obtaining the information about the PIM request command comprises obtaining the information about the PIM request command from the command table, based further on a triggering signal to generate a PIM request received from the processor.
The electronic device of one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the command table comprises information about one or more PIM request commands, and the information about a PIM request command comprises at least one of type information, address information, data information, and fence information indicating whether to perform a memory fence operation for the PIM request command.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of generating a processing-in-memory, PIM, request for an in-memory operation, the method comprising: receiving a configuration for generating a PIM request; obtaining information about a PIM request command from a command table, the obtaining based on the configuration information; and generating a PIM request based on the obtained information about the PIM request command.

Description

BACKGROUND 1. Field The following description relates to a method and apparatus with processing-in-memory request generation. 2. Description of Related Art In a typical computer system of the Von Neumann architecture, the function of a memory device may be separated from the function of a processor that performs operation on data in the memory device. Accordingly, a bottleneck may occur when a large amount of data is exchanged between a memory device and a processor in a system for performing operations of a neural network, processing big data, or processing Internet of Things (IoT) data, which require operations for a large amount of data. To solve this issue, research has been actively conducted on processing-in-memory (PIM) as a memory device that combines a function of a memory with a function of a processor for performing an arithmetic operation. SUMMARY The invention is claimed in the independent claims. Preferred embodiments are specified in the dependent claims. This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. Aspects provide in-memory system technology that may be used in which either an in-memory operation device operates or does not operate as a dedicated memory command. Aspects provide in-memory system technology that may be used without hardware modification of a processor. Aspects provide in-memory system technology that may generate a processing-in-memory (PIM) request for an in-memory operation in a module separate from a processor such that the processor may perform a separate operation while generating the PIM request for an in-memory operation. However, technical aspects are not limited to the foregoing aspects, and there may be other technical aspects. In one general aspect, a method of generating a PIM request for an in-memory operation includes receiving configuration information for generating a PIM request from a processor; obtaining information about a PIM request command from a command table, the obtaining based on the configuration information; and generating a PIM request based on the obtained information about the PIM request command. The obtaining of the information about a PIM request command may include obtaining the information about the PIM request command from the command table, based on a start address of the command table included in the configuration information. The generating of the PIM request may include generating address information corresponding to the PIM request, based on information indicating an address range included in the information about a PIM request command and address mapping information included in the configuration information; and generating the PIM request including the generated address information. The address mapping information may include mapping information of a memory field and a bit of an address and increment mode information of an address by each memory field. The obtaining of the information about the PIM request command may include obtaining the information about a PIM request command from the command table, based further on a triggering signal to generate the PIM request received from the processor. The method may further include transmitting the PIM request to a memory controller configured to control a PIM memory configured to perform an in-memory operation. The processor may store the command table. The command table may include information about one or more PIM request commands. The information about the PIM request command may include a type of the PIM request command, an address of the PIM request command, and/or data to be operated on by the PIM request command. The information about the PIM request command may further include fence information indicating whether to perform a memory fence operation for the PIM request command. The type indicates an in-memory operation type or indicates a general memory operation type. In another general aspect, an electronic device for an in-memory operation includes a processor, a memory controller, a PIM memory, and a PIM request generation module. The processor may transmit configuration information for generating a PIM request to the PIM request generation module, and the PIM request generation module may perform an operation of obtaining, based on the configuration information, information about a PIM request command from a command table, based on the configuration information, and is configured to perform an operation of generating a PIM request based on the PIM request command. The PIM request may be transmitted to the memory controller configured to control the PIM memory. The obtaining of the information about the PIM request command may include obtaining the information about the PIM request