Patent ID: 7151707

Claim:
A method of transferring data from a memory device in either a first operating mode or a second operating mode, the method comprising: in the first operating mode: transferring the data from the memory device to each of N parallel-to-serial converters in the form of one set of M-bit parallel data so that N×M bits of parallel data are collectively transferred from the memory device to the N parallel-to-serial converters; transferring the data from each of the N parallel-to-serial converters in the form of M bits of data output in sequence from each of the N parallel-to-serial converters so that M sets of N-bit parallel data are output from the N parallel-to-serial converters; and in the second operating mode: transferring the data from the memory device to each of 2N parallel-to-serial converters in the form of two sets of M/2-bit parallel data each so that a first set of N×M bits of parallel data are collectively transferred from the memory device to the 2N parallel-to-serial converters and a second set of N×M bits of parallel data are subsequently collectively transferred from the memory device to the 2N parallel-to-serial converters; and transferring the write data from each of the 2N parallel-to-serial converters in the form of M bits of data output in sequence from each of the 2N parallel-to-serial converters so that M sets of 2N-bit parallel data are output from the 2N parallel-to-serial converters.