Patent · US Expired

Multi-port arbitration for high performance width expansion

US5768211A · kind A · utility

31Cited by
3References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 31, 1996
Grant dateJun 16, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 31, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C8/16
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A multi-port memory device comprising a memory cell coupled to a first port and a second port. The second port receives write data for writing into the memory cell. The multi-port memory device further comprises an undo circuit coupled to the memory cell. The undo circuit invalidates the write data in response to receiving a busy signal. When the undo circuit invalidates the write data, the write data is not written into the memory cell. The busy signal indicates that the first port is enabled to access the memory cell at substantially the same time that the second port receives the write data. The busy signal may be generated by arbitration circuitry in the multi-port memory device or by arbitration circuitry in another device coupled to the multi-port memory device. For one embodiment, the busy signal may be generated by arbitration circuitry in a second multi-port memory device coupled in width expansion with the first multi-port memory device.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.