US-12620452-B2 - Differential strobe fault identification

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for differential strobe fault indication are described. A memory device may be configured to indicate a fault using a read strobe signal. The read strobe signal may be a read data strobe (RDQS) signal, such as a true RDQS (RDQS_t) signal or a complement RDQS (RDQS_c) signal. In some examples, the memory device may indicate the fault based on a characteristic of the read strobe signal, such as a pattern of the read strobe signal, a voltage level of the read strobe signal, a difference between a first read strobe signal and a second read strobe signal, or any combination thereof. In some examples, a host device may identify a fault type (e.g., recoverable or unrecoverable) based on a fault signature associated with a given characteristic of the read strobe signal. The host device may perform recovery operations based on the fault type identified.

Inventors

• Scott E. Schaefer
• Paul A. LaBerge

Assignees

• MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20240216

Claims (19)

1. 1 . A method, at a host device, comprising: transmitting, to a memory device, one or more commands to perform one or more operations on a memory array of the memory device; identifying a plurality of clock cycles for receiving data from the memory device associated with a first command of the one or more commands based at least in part on a first read strobe signal of a set of read strobe signals; identifying a fault signature based at least in part on a second read strobe signal of the set of read strobe signals, the fault signature indicating a fault type from a plurality of fault types corresponding to different fault signatures associated with characteristics of the second read strobe signal relative to the first read strobe signal, wherein the fault type is a recoverable fault or an unrecoverable fault; and performing one or more recovery operations based at least in part on the fault type indicated by the fault signature.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: identifying that the fault type indicated by the fault signature is the recoverable fault; reading one or more registers based at least in part on identifying the recoverable fault; and identifying a cause of the recoverable fault based at least in part on reading the one or more registers, wherein performing the one or more recovery operations is based at least in part on the cause of the recoverable fault.
3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fault type indicated by the fault signature is the unrecoverable fault, wherein performing the one or more recovery operations comprises: identifying that the fault type indicated by the fault signature is the unrecoverable fault; and transitioning to a safe state mode based at least in part on identifying the unrecoverable fault.
4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: identifying that the second read strobe signal outputs a voltage level for a plurality of clock cycles, wherein the fault type is identified based at least in part on the voltage level.
5. 5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: identifying that the first read strobe signal toggles between a first voltage level and a second voltage level according to a first periodicity, wherein identifying the plurality of clock cycles for receiving data is based at least in part on identifying the toggling of the first read strobe signal; and identifying that the second read strobe signal toggles between the first voltage level and the second voltage level according to a second periodicity, wherein the fault type is identified based at least in part on a difference between the first periodicity and the second periodicity.
6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: identifying that the first read strobe signal toggles between a first voltage level and a second voltage level according to a first periodicity, wherein identifying the plurality of clock cycles for receiving data is based at least in part on identifying the toggling of the first read strobe signal; and identifying that the second read strobe signal toggles between the first voltage level and the second voltage level according to the first periodicity, wherein the fault type is identified based at least in part on the second read strobe signal being in phase with the first read strobe signal according to the first periodicity.
7. 7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: identifying that the first read strobe signal outputs a first voltage level for a plurality of clock cycles; and identifying that the second read strobe signal outputs a second voltage level for the plurality of clock cycles, wherein the fault type is identified based at least in part on a difference between the first voltage level and the second voltage level.
8. 8 . A method, at a memory device, comprising: receiving, from a host device, one or more commands to perform one or more operations on a memory array of the memory device; determining a fault type, associated with performing the one or more operations, that is a recoverable fault type; indicating a plurality of clock cycles for outputting data associated with a first command of the one or more commands using a first read strobe signal of a set of read strobe signals; and indicating a fault signature using a second read strobe signal of the set of read strobe signals, the fault signature indicating the fault type that is the recoverable fault type from a plurality of fault types corresponding to different fault signatures associated with characteristics of the second read strobe signal relative to the first read strobe signal.
9. 9 . A method, at a memory device, comprising: receiving, from a host device, one or more commands to perform one or more operations on a memory array of the memory device; determining a fault type, associated with performing the one or more operations, that is an unrecoverable fault type; indicating a plurality of clock cycles for outputting data associated with a first command of the one or more commands using a first read strobe signal of a set of read strobe signals; and indicating a fault signature using a second read strobe signal of the set of read strobe signals, the fault signature indicating the fault type that is the unrecoverable fault type from a plurality of fault types corresponding to different fault signatures associated with characteristics of the second read strobe signal relative to the first read strobe signal.
10. 10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising: outputting, using the second read strobe signal, a voltage level for a plurality of clock cycles, wherein the fault type is indicated based at least in part on the voltage level.
11. 11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising: toggling the first read strobe signal between a first voltage level and a second voltage level according to a first periodicity, wherein indicating the plurality of clock cycles for outputting data is based at least in part on toggling the first read strobe signal; and toggling the second read strobe signal between the first voltage level and the second voltage level according to a second periodicity, wherein the fault type is indicated based at least in part on a difference between the first periodicity and the second periodicity.
12. 12 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising: toggling the first read strobe signal between a first voltage level and a second voltage level according to a first periodicity, wherein indicating the plurality of clock cycles for outputting data is based at least in part on toggling the first read strobe signal; and toggling the second read strobe signal between the first voltage level and the second voltage level according to the first periodicity, wherein the fault type is indicated based at least in part on the second read strobe signal being in phase with the first read strobe signal according to the first periodicity.
13. 13 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising: outputting, using the first read strobe signal, a first voltage level for a plurality of clock cycles; and outputting, using the second read strobe signal, a second voltage level for the plurality of clock cycles, wherein the fault type is indicated based at least in part on a difference between the first voltage level and the second voltage level.
14. 14 . A method, at a host device, comprising: transmitting, to a memory device, one or more commands to perform one or more operations on a memory array of the memory device; identifying at least one transition of a first read strobe signal of a set of read strobe signals occurring exclusive of a plurality of clock cycles for receiving data from the memory device; identifying a fault signature based at least in part on the first read strobe signal and a second read strobe signal, the fault signature indicating a fault type from a plurality of fault types corresponding to different fault signatures associated with characteristics of the second read strobe signal relative to the first read strobe signal, wherein the fault type is a recoverable fault or an unrecoverable fault; and performing one or more recovery operations based at least in part on the fault type indicated by the fault signature.
15. 15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising: identifying that the fault type indicated by the fault signature is the recoverable fault; reading one or more registers based at least in part on identifying the recoverable fault; and identifying a cause of the recoverable fault based at least in part on reading the one or more registers, wherein performing the one or more recovery operations is based at least in part on the cause of the recoverable fault.
16. 16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising: identifying that the fault type indicated by the fault signature is the unrecoverable fault; and transitioning to a safe state mode based at least in part on identifying the unrecoverable fault.
17. 17 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising: identifying that the second read strobe signal outputs a voltage level for a plurality of clock cycles, wherein the fault type is identified based at least in part on the voltage level.
18. 18 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising: identifying that the first read strobe signal toggles between a first voltage level and a second voltage level according to a first periodicity; and identifying that the second read strobe signal toggles between the first voltage level and the second voltage level according to a second periodicity, wherein the fault type is identified based at least in part on a difference between the first periodicity and the second periodicity.
19. 19 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising: identifying that the first read strobe signal toggles between a first voltage level and a second voltage level according to a first periodicity; and identifying that the second read strobe signal toggles between the first voltage level and the second voltage level according to the first periodicity, wherein the fault type is identified based at least in part on the second read strobe signal being in phase with the first read strobe signal according to the first periodicity.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE The present Application for Patent claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/447,262 by SCHAEFER et al., entitled “DIFFERENTIAL STROBE FAULT IDENTIFICATION,” filed Feb. 21, 2023, assigned to the assignee hereof, and expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. TECHNICAL FIELD The following relates to one or more systems for memory, including differential strobe fault identification. BACKGROUND Memory devices are widely used to store information in devices such as computers, user devices, wireless communication devices, cameras, digital displays, and others. Information is stored by programming memory cells within a memory device to various states. For example, binary memory cells may be programmed to one of two supported states, often denoted by a logic 1 or a logic 0. In some examples, a single memory cell may support more than two states, any one of which may be stored. To access the stored information, the memory device may read (e.g., sense, detect, retrieve, determine) states from the memory cells. To store information, the memory device may write (e.g., program, set, assign) states to the memory cells. Various types of memory devices exist, including magnetic hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), static RAM (SRAM), ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), magnetic RAM (MRAM), resistive RAM (RRAM), flash memory, phase change memory (PCM), self-selecting memory, chalcogenide memory technologies, not-or (NOR) and not-and (NAND) memory devices, and others. Memory cells may be described in terms of volatile configurations or non-volatile configurations. Memory cells configured in a non-volatile configuration may maintain stored logic states for extended periods of time even in the absence of an external power source. Memory cells configured in a volatile configuration may lose stored states when disconnected from an external power source. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a system that supports differential strobe fault identification in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a memory die that supports differential strobe fault identification in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a timing diagram that supports differential strobe fault identification in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a timing diagram that supports differential strobe fault identification in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of a host device that supports differential strobe fault identification in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart showing a method or methods that support differential strobe fault identification in accordance with examples as disclosed herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION A system may include a memory device and a host device, which may communicate with one another using a bus. Different packages (e.g., packages that vary in size, density, architecture, other aspects, or any combination thereof) may be used to contain a memory device. A package that contains a memory device may include multiple pins that are coupled with the bus and provide access to and from components within the memory device. In some examples, one or more of the pins may be coupled with data lines of the bus and one or more of the pins may be coupled with control lines of the bus. Although the systems, methods, and techniques herein are described using pins, it is to be understood that the term pins may refer to other types of connections to a memory device such as balls (e.g., solder balls), posts, or other types of interconnection used for coupling a memory device with a bus. In some cases, a fault at the memory device may affect reliability of the system. The fault may be associated with operations (e.g., access operations) on a memory array of the memory device. For example, an application (e.g., a functional safety application or a high reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS) application) at the host device may request notification of memory faults. However, in some systems, including a system that includes a low power dynamic random access memory (LPDRAM) device, the system may not include a dedicated pin for flagging or indicating a fault or an error at the memory device. It may be beneficial to configure the memory device to indicate faults to the host device using one or more existing pins of the system. Additionally it may be beneficial for the host device to identify a type of fault based on the one or more indications from the memory device. As described herein, a memory device may be configured to indicate a fault using a strobe signal, such as a read strobe signal that may include a true and compliment signal. The memory device may receive (e.g., from a host device) one