A memory controller component includes transmit circuitry and adjusting circuitry. The transmit circuitry transmits a clock signal and write data to a DRAM, the write data to be sampled by the DRAM using a timing signal. The adjusting circuitry adjusts transmit timing of the write data and of the timing signal such that an edge transition of the timing signal is aligned with an edge transition of the clock signal at the DRAM.

Apparatus and methods for operation of a memory controller, memory device and system are described. During operation, the memory controller transmits a read command which specifies that a memory device output data accessed from a memory core. This read command contains information which specifies whether the memory device is to commence outputting of a timing reference signal prior to commencing outputting of the data. The memory controller receives the timing reference signal if the information specified that the memory device output the timing reference signal. The memory controller subsequently samples the data output from the memory device based on information provided by the timing reference signal output from the memory device.

A computer-implemented method includes an act of configuring hardware to cause at least a part of the hardware to operate as a double data rate (DDR) memory controller, and to produce a capture clock to time a read data path, where a timing of the capture clock is based on a first clock signal of a first clock, delay the first clock signal to produce a delayed first clock signal, adjust the delay such that at least one clock edge of the delayed first clock signal is placed nearer to at least one clock edge of at least one data strobe (DQS), or at least one signal dependent on a DQS timing, and produce a modified timing of the capture clock based on the delay of the first clock signal.

In some embodiments, clock input buffer circuitry and divider circuitry use a combination of externally-suppled voltages and internally-generated voltages to provide the various clock signals used by a semiconductor device. For example, a clock input buffer is configured to provide second complementary clock signals responsive to received first complementary clock signals using cross-coupled buffer circuitry coupled to a supply voltage and to drive the first complementary clock signals using driver circuitry coupled to an internal voltage. In another example, a divider circuitry may provide divided clock signals based on the second complementary clock signals via a divider coupled to the internal voltage and to drive the divided clock signals using driver circuitry coupled to the supply voltage. A magnitude of the supply voltage may be less than a magnitude of the internal voltage.

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed facilitate read-modify-write support in a coherent victim cache with parallel data paths. An example apparatus includes a random-access memory configured to be coupled to a central processing unit via a first interface and a second interface, the random-access memory configured to obtain a read request indicating a first address to read via a snoop interface, an address encoder coupled to the random-access memory, the address encoder to, when the random-access memory indicates a hit of the read request, generate a second address corresponding to a victim cache based on the first address, and a multiplexer coupled to the victim cache to transmit a response including data obtained from the second address of the victim cache.

Methods, systems, and devices for communicating data with stacked memory dies are described. A first semiconductor die may communicate with an external computing device using a binary-symbol signal including two signal levels representing one bit of data. Semiconductor dies may be stacked on one another and include internal interconnects (e.g., through-silicon vias) to relay an internal signal generated based on the binary-symbol signal. The internal signal may be a multi-symbol signal modulated using a modulation scheme that includes three or more levels to represent more than one bit of data. The multi-level symbol signal may simplify the internal interconnects. A second semiconductor die may be configured to receive and re-transmit the multi-level symbol signal to semiconductor dies positioned above the second semiconductor die.

A caching system including a first sub-cache and a second sub-cache in parallel with the first sub-cache, wherein the second sub-cache includes: line type bits configured to store an indication that a corresponding cache line of the second sub-cache is configured to store write-miss data, and an eviction controller configured to evict a cache line of the second sub-cache storing write-miss data based on an indication that the cache line has been fully written.

A method for operating a data interface circuit whereby calibration adjustments for data bit capture are made without disturbing normal system operation includes initially establishing, using a first calibration method where a data bit pattern received by the data interface circuit is predictable, an optimal sampling point for sampling data bits received by the data interface circuit, and during a normal system operation and without disturbing the normal system operation, performing a second calibration method where the data bit pattern received by the data interface circuit is unpredictable. The second calibration method determines an amount of a timing drift for received data bit edge transitions and adjusts the optimal timing point determined by the first calibration method to create a revised optimal timing point. The second calibration method samples fringe timing points associated with the transition edges of a data bit.

Techniques for non-deterministic operation of a stacked memory system are provided. In an example, a method of operating a memory package can include receiving a plurality of memory access requests for a channel at a logic die, returning first data to a host in response to a first memory access request of the plurality of memory access requests, returning an indication of data not ready to the host in response to a second memory access request of the plurality of memory access requests for second data, returning a first index to the host with the indication of data not ready, returning an indication data is ready with third data in response to a third memory access request of the plurality of memory access requests, and returning the first index with the indication of data ready.

A memory system in which a timing drift that would occur in distribution of a first timing signal for data transport in a memory device is determined by measuring the actual phase delays occurring in a second timing signal that has a frequency lower than that of the first timing signal and is distributed in one or more circuits mimicking the drift characteristics of at least a portion of distribution of the first timing signal. The actual phase delays are determined in the memory device and provided to a memory controller so that the phases of the timing signals used for data transport may be adjusted based on the determined timing drift.