Abstract:
An electrically alterable semiconductor memory comprises at least two substantially independent memory banks (1A, 1B), and first control circuit means (2, 4A, 4B) for controlling operations of electrical alteration of the content of the memory, capable of permitting the selective execution of an operation of electrical alteration of the content of one of the at least two memory banks. The memory also comprises second control circuit means (6, 4A, 4B) capable of permitting, simultaneously with said operation of electrical alteration of the content of one of the at least two memory banks, a burst mode read or page mode read operation or a standard read operation for reading the content of the other memory bank.
Abstract:
A memory device comprises a plurality of independent memory sectors, external address signal inputs (2) for receiving external address signals (A0-A17) for addressing individual memory locations of the memory device, the external address signals (A0-A17) comprising external memory sector address signals (A12-A17) allowing for individually addressing each memory sector, and a memory sector selection means (11) for selecting one of the plurality of memory sectors according to a value of the external memory sector address signals (A12-A17). A first and a second alternative internal memory sector address signal paths (6,7) are provided for supplying the external memory sector address signals (A12-A17) to the memory sector selection means (11), the first path (6) providing no logic inversion and the second path (7) providing logic inversion. Programmable means (12) allows for activating either one or the other of the first and second internal memory sector address signal paths (6,7), so that a position of each memory sector in a space of values (00000h - 3FFFFh) of the external address signals (A0-A17) can be changed by activating either one or the other of the first and second internal memory sector address signal paths (6,7).
Abstract:
An autotesting method of a cells matrix of a memory device is disclosed which comprises the steps of:
reading the values contained in a plurality of the memory cells; comparing the read values with reference values; signalling mismatch of the read values with the reference values as an error situation; and storing the error situations.
In the autotesting method, the reading, comparing, signalling, and storing steps are repeated for all the memory cells in an matrix column. The autotesting method according to the invention further comprises the steps of:
storing the addresses of any columns having at least one error situation; and repeating all the preceding steps according to a step of scanning all the matrix columns.
Advantageously according to the invention, all said steps are internally realized in the memory device. Also disclosed is a memory device with a autotesting architecture, which device is adapted to implement the autotesting method according to the invention.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a read control circuit portion (1) and an attendant reading method for an electronic memory device (2) integrated in a semiconductor and including a non-volatile memory matrix (4) with associated row and column decoders (5,6) connected to respective outputs of an address counter (7), an ATD circuit (12) for detecting an input transaction as the memory device is being accessed, and read amplifiers (8) and attendant registers (10) for transferring the data read from the memory (2) to the output. The control circuit portion (1) comprises a detection circuit block (15) which is input a clock signal (CK) and a logic signal (BAN) to enable reading in the burst mode, and a burst read mode control logic (3) connected downstream of the circuit block (15). The method of this invention comprises accessing the memory matrix in a random read mode; detecting a request for access in the burst read mode; and executing the parallel reading of a plurality of memory words during a single period of time clocked by a clock signal (CK).