Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/531,370, filed Sep. 13, 2006, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/717,075, filed Sep. 13, 2005, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates in general to semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) and more particularly to a reset function in synchronous dynamic random access memories (SDRAMs). 
         [0003]    When using personal computers (PCs) or laptop computers, users typically reset the computer upon encountering such unexpected events as a conflict between programs, a virus attack or infection, or a screen hold. To reset the computer, the user typically powers down the computer and then powers it back up. This process takes a significant amount of time as it usually involves rebooting of the computer. Thus, a technique which enables the user to quickly reset the computer without the need to power down the computer is desirable. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, A synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) integrated circuit (IC) configured to receive an external Reset signal for resetting the IC includes a low voltage MOS input buffer configured to generate a buffered reset signal RST from the external Reset signal. The SDRAM IC further includes a reset circuit is configured to generate an internal reset signal Reset_En from (a) the RST signal, (b) a clock enable signal CKE which indicates a time when the SDRAM is ready to receive an external command, and (c) a mode register programming signal MRS P  which indicates a time when a mode register is to be loaded with data. The reset circuit activates the Reset_En signal in response to the external Reset signal becoming active to thereby start an internal reset interval during which one or more circuit blocks in the SDRAM IC are powered down. 
         [0005]    In one embodiment, a duration of the internal reset interval is dependent on when the CKE signal becomes active to indicate that the SDRAM is ready to receive an external command. 
         [0006]    In another embodiment, a duration of the internal reset interval is dependent on when the CKE signal becomes active to indicate SDRAM internal initialization is completed. 
         [0007]    In another embodiment, the reset circuit comprises a delay circuit configured so that a duration of the Internal Reset Interval is in part dependent upon the propagation delay through the delay circuit. 
         [0008]    In another embodiment, an input of the delay circuit is coupled to the CKE signal. 
         [0009]    In another embodiment, the reset circuit further comprises a latch circuit configured to prevent the Reset_En signal from changing states when CKE signal makes transitions during predetermined timing periods. 
         [0010]    In another embodiment, the reset circuit further comprises a latch circuit configured to render the Reset_En signal non-responsive to CKE signal transitions during the time the external Reset signal is in inactive state. 
         [0011]    In another embodiment, the reset circuit further comprises a pull-up circuit configured to bias the latch circuit in a first state in response the MRS P  signal becoming active, the first state of the latch circuit rendering the Reset_En signal non-responsive to CKE signal transitions during the time the external Reset signal is in inactive state. 
         [0012]    In another embodiment, the low voltage CMOS input buffer includes a two-input logic gate having one input coupled to a supply voltage and the other input coupled to the external Reset signal. 
         [0013]    In another embodiment, the reset circuit includes a first two-input NAND gate providing the Reset_En signal at its output and receiving the RST signal at a first input. A second two-input NAND gate has an output coupled to a second input of the first two-input NAND gate, and has a first input coupled to a clock enable signal CKE through an inverting delay circuit. A two-input NOR gate receives the RST signal at a first input and the CKE signal at a second input. A pull-up transistor and a pull-down transistor are serially coupled between a supply voltage and a ground potential, and the pull-down transistor has a gate terminal coupled to an output of the two-input NOR gate. An inverter has its input coupled to the MRS P  signal and its output coupled to a gate terminal of the pull-up transistor. A latch circuit is coupled between a second input of the second two-input NAND gate and a node intermediate serially connected pull-up and pull-down transistors. 
         [0014]    A further understanding of the nature and the advantages of the invention disclosed herein may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the attached drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a timing diagram showing a reset timing sequence during power up of a memory; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a timing diagram showing a reset timing sequence during normal operation of the memory; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram for an implementation of the timing diagrams in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  shows the internal circuitry of the LVCMOS buffer in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  shows the internal circuitry of the Reset Logic block in  FIG. 3  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a timing diagram used to illustrate the operation of the circuit in  FIG. 5 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a semiconductor memory IC, such as a synchronous dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and its varieties (e.g., DDR 2  and DDR 3 ), includes a logic block coupled to an external reset pin which enables a user to reset the memory IC without the need to power down the IC. 
         [0022]      FIGS. 1 and 2  are timing diagrams showing reset timing sequences during power up and during normal operation, respectively. In these figures, multiple cycles of the external Clock, Reset, clock enable CKE, and command CMD signals are shown. In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the external Reset signal is required to remain active for a minimum duration of time (period A). Further, the CKE signal is required to be inactive (i.e., remain in low state) at least for a predetermined period B before and a predetermined period C after the external Reset signal is raised high. While the external Reset signal becomes inactive at the end of period A, the internal reset period does not end until CKE signal becomes active (i.e., is raised high) signaling the time when the memory IC is ready to receive commands. The time period from when the Reset signal is activated until the time CKE signal goes high is indicated in  FIGS. 1 and 2  as the “Internal Reset Interval.” During the Internal Reset Interval, many of the circuit blocks in the memory device (e.g., output drivers DQ/DQS, self refresh, on-die termination, DLL) are disabled and thus there are minimum memory activities. 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  shows a block diagram for an implementation of the timing diagrams in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. A low voltage complementary metal oxide semiconductor (LVCMOS) buffer  302  outputs a RST signal in response to the externally provided Reset signal. A clock enable buffer  304  outputs an internal clock enable signal CKE int  in response to externally provided clock enable signal CKE. An MRS, EMRS Logic block  308  outputs a mode register programming signal MRSp in response to externally provided signals (not shown) required to issue a mode register programming signal (in one embodiment, the external signals may include all or a subset of  CS ,  RAS ,  CAS ,  WE , and band addresses BA). A reset logic block  306  receives the RST signal as well as the internal clock enable signal CKE int  and the mode register programming signal MRSp, and in response generates a Reset_En signal. The internal Reset_En signal is used to disable specific circuit blocks including the output DQ/DQS drivers, on-die termination (ODT), self-refresh, DLL and a state machine, to thereby minimize power consumption during the reset mode. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  shows one circuit implementation of the LVCMOS buffer of  FIG. 3 . The buffer includes a CMOS implementation of a 2-input NAND gate which receives the external Reset signal and the power supply VDD at its two inputs. The output of the NAND gate is inverted via an inverter  410 . The output of the inverter provides the RST signal. Use of the NAND gate with an input coupled to VDD helps reduce standby leakage. While the buffer in  FIG. 4  is intended to detect CMOS input levels, the buffer can be modified by one skilled in this art to detect other input levels. 
         [0025]      FIG. 5  shows the internal circuitry of the reset logic block  306  in  FIG. 3  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Two-input NAND gate  502  receives the RST signal and the output signal generated by another two-input NAND gate  504 , and in response generates output signal Reset_En. NAND gate  504  receives the CKE signal via a delay circuit  506  and receives latch signal CKEN from latch circuit  508 . Delay chain  506  is made up of an odd number of inverters (e.g., five as shown in the  FIG. 5  embodiment), and is thus an inverting delay chain. A latch circuit  506  (e.g., comprising two cross-coupled inverters) is coupled between an input of NAND gate  504  and a biasing circuit. The biasing circuit serves to bias latch circuit  508  to the appropriate states during and after the Internal Reset Interval. 
         [0026]    The biasing circuit includes a pull-down circuit which in turn includes a two-input NOR gate  510  and a pull-down transistor  512 . The two-input NOR gate  510  receives RST and CKE int  signals at its respective input terminals, and the output terminal of NOR gate  510  is coupled to the gate of pull-down transistor  512 . Pull-down transistor  512  is coupled between latch circuit  508  and ground potential. The biasing circuit further includes a pull-up circuit which in turn includes an inverter  514  and a pull-up transistor  516 . Inverter  514  receives the MRS P  signal at its input, and the output of inverter  514  is coupled to the gate of pull-up transistor  516 . Pull-up transistor  516  and pull-down transistor  512  are serially coupled between VDD and ground. The node intermediate transistors  512  and  516  are connected to latch  508 . As shown, pull-down transistor  512  is an NMOS transistor and pull-up transistor  516  is a PMOS transistor, but they are not limited as such. 
         [0027]      FIG. 6  is a timing diagram which will be used to describe the operation of the circuit in  FIG. 5 . The timing of the Reset and CKE signals in  FIG. 6  correspond to those in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . A pulse signal (MRSp) generated by the MRS, EMRS Logic block ( FIG. 3 ) initiates the mode register programming operation known in SDRAM devices. The waveform shown for CKEN signal reflects the timing at the input of NAND gate  504 . Upon power-up or when Reset is activated during normal operation, the Reset, CKE, and MRS P  signals occur in the sequence shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0028]    When the external Reset signal is asserted low (i.e., becomes active) at time t 1  by for example a user, the internal Reset_En signal is driven high (i.e., becomes active) via NAND gate  502  thus initiating the Internal Reset Interval during which a predetermined number of circuit blocks in the memory are powered down. The Internal Reset Interval ends when both inputs of NAND gate  502  are at a high level. Thus, with the Reset signal raised high at time t 2  (i.e., Reset signal becomes inactive), the Internal Reset Interval remains active until a predetermined time delay after CKE goes high (i.e., becomes active) at time t 3 . That is, with the Reset signal in the inactive state, when CKE signal becomes active at time t 3 , output  518  of delay circuit  506  goes low after a time period corresponding to the propagation delay through inverter chain  506 . Output of NAND gate  504  transitions high in response to the low transition at node  518 , thus causing Reset_En signal to transition low terminating the Internal Reset Interval. Delay chain  506 , in effect, extends the Internal Reset Interval. 
         [0029]    During the B time period when the CKE signal is inactive and the Reset signal is active (i.e., are both low), NOR gate  510  turns on pull-down transistor  512 , thus causing latch  508  to either maintain a high at the node marked as CKEN or pull node CKEN high if it was previously in the low state. This ensures that during time period C when both CKE and Reset signals are in inactive state, the Reset_En signal is maintained in the active state. At time t 4  when the MRS P  pulse is generated to initiate the mode register programming, the high going edge of the MRS P  pulse causes pull-up transistor  516  to turn on thus causing the CKEN node to transition low. Latch circuit  508  maintains the CKEN node low until both Reset and CKE signals become low again. During the time CKEN node is low, NAND gate  504  prevents the CKE signal transitions from impacting the state of Reset_En signal. Thus, the MRS P  pulse after the external CKE signal becomes active ensures that during the time the external Reset signal is high, transitions in external CKE signal do not impact the state of the internal RESET_EN signal. 
         [0030]    Thus, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a simple reset circuit implemented in a SDRAM enables the SDRAM to be reset via an external Reset pin without the need to power down the SDRAM. The reset circuit uses only 3 input signals to implement the reset function. This feature advantageously enables resetting a PC or laptop computers when certain malfunctions occur without the need to power down the PC. 
         [0031]    While the above provides a detailed description of various embodiments of the invention, many alternatives, modifications, and equivalents are possible. For this and other reasons, therefore, the above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

Technology Category: g