Memory: ROM and RAM

Tom Kelliher, CS 220

Nov. 17, 2003

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Homework due Wednesday!

Assignment

Read 6.2--4.

From Last Time

Exam.

Outline

  1. Introduction.

  2. ROM.

  3. RAM.

Coming Up

Details on RAM.

Introduction

  1. What is memory?

  2. Volatile vs. non-volatile.

  3. RAM characteristics: speed, density, power.

  4. Memory hierarchy: registers, cache, main memory, etc.

  5. General structure:

ROM

  1. Technologies: PROM, EPROM (UV), EEPROM, EAPROM.

  2. Where do you find ROM in a PC?

  3. Structure of a ROM:

    Minterms, fusible links.

  4. Usage: program storage, generation of combinational functions.

    How do you use for combinational functions?

RAM

  1. Additional inputs: !Enable, Read/!Write

  2. Static RAM: latches, inverter pair.

    Used for caches. Fast. Not dense. High power.

  3. Dynamic RAM: stored charge on a capacitor.
    1. Leakage, refresh.

    2. Used for main memory. Slow. Dense. Low power.

    3. Sizes. I/O pin limitations. Solutions: one bit wide, address multiplexing. 2-D structure.

    4. Additional inputs: RAS, CAS.

  4. Read/Write sequences.

    Write strobe with respect to the clock signal. Importance of address bus settling before write asserts.



Thomas P. Kelliher
Fri Nov 14 10:28:40 EST 2003
Tom Kelliher