DDR SDRAM

ASIC Course
Saeed Bakhshi
May 2004
Class presentation based on ISSCC2003 paper: A

1.8V, 700Mb/s/pin, 512Mb DDR-II

SDRAM with On-Die Termination and
Off-Chip Driver Calibration.

Outlines

Memory Evolution
What is DDR?
DDR Architecture
High Speed Memory Design Considerations
DDR-II Architecture
A 1.8V, 700Mb/s/pin, 512Mb DDR-II SDRAM with
On-Die Termination and Off-Chip Driver Calibration

A paper from:

ISSCC 2003; Session 17.8

Samsung Electronics

History of Memory

Memory Evolution

Only a few years ago, "regular" SDRAM was introduced as a

proposed replacement for the older FPM and EDO
asynchronous DRAM technologies.

1979 DRAM
1997 SDRAM
Next Generation Memories RAMBUS, DDR SDRAM

This was due to the limitations the older memory has when
working with systems using higher bus speeds (over 75 MHz).

In the next couple of years, as system bus speeds increase

further, the bell will soon toll on SDRAM itself.
One of the proposed new standards to replace SDRAM is
Double Data Rate SDRAM or DDR SDRAM.

What is DDR?

DDR (Double Data Rate) memory is the next generation

SDRAM.
Like SDRAM, DDR is synchronous with the system clock.
The big difference between DDR and SDRAM memory is that
DDR reads data on both the rising and falling edges of the
clock signal.
SDRAM only carries information on the rising edge of a signal.
Basically this allows the DDR module to transfer data twice as
fast as SDRAM.

For example, instead of a data rate of 133MHz, DDR memory

transfers data at 266MHz.

DDR SDRAM also consumes less power, which makes it ideal

for notebook computers.
JESD79C is the JEDEC standard for DDR SDRAM
specifications.

DDR Terminology

Name

Clock Freq.

Data Rate

DDR200
DDR266
DDR333
DDR400

100 MHZ
133 MHZ
167 MHZ
200 MHZ

200 MHZ
266 MHZ
300 MHZ
400 MHZ

DDR Architecture

The DDR SDRAM uses a double data rate

architecture to achieve high speed operation.
The double data rate architecture is essentially a 2n
prefetch architecture, with an interface designed to
transfer two data words per clock cycle at the I/O
pins.
A single read or write access for the DDR SDRAM
consists of :

Single 2n-bit wide data, in one clock cycle is transferred at

the internal DRAM core.
Two corresponding n-bit wide data, in two-half clock cycle,
are transferred at the I/O pins.

DDR Architecture

DDR Architecture

Data Input Sampling

DIND : Input data after Din buffer

PE : Pulse generated by the rising edge of DQS
PO : Pulse generated by the falling edge of DQS
PCK : Internal Pulse generated by the rising edge of CLK

DDR Architecture

Output Driver

Voltage mode push-pull driver ; small rON

DDR Architecture

SSTL stands for Series Stub Terminated Logic and has been
defined and standardized within JEDEC.
Series resistors are incorporated in the SSTL signaling
technology for main memory applications.
These resistors can be very effective in dissipating any
reflected wave energy traveling along the module traces and
isolating the module stubs from the main memory bus.
Proper termination of the bus transmission lines, reducing
signal reflections.
The result is improved signal quality, higher clock frequencies,
and lower EMI emissions.
SSTL inputs are typically a differential pair common source
amplifier with one input tied to the VTT reference.

This type of circuit provides excellent gain and bandwidth.

High Speed Memory Design Considerations

The Signal integrity is an challenging issue in High

speed design.
The following effects are more important in High
Speed Design and can cause data corruption.

Reflection
Crosstalk and interference
SSN (simultaneously switching noise)

Following solutions are employed to improve signal

integrity.

On die Termination (ODT)

Off chip Driver Calibration (OCD)
On die Decoupling

DDR II

In JEDEC, DDR-II targeting 667Mb/s/pin is being

defined as an extension of DDR.

Interface is defined at VDDQ=1.8V.

SSTL bus structure has been modified for higher data
rate.
ODT (On Die Termination) is employed for better signal
integrity.

DDR2 SDRAM introduces features and functions

that go beyond the DDR SDRAM specification and
enable DDR2 to operate at data rates of 400 MHz,
533 MHz, 667 MHz, and above.

DDR II

Normal DDR limitations at higher frequencies:

DDR2 Addresses these challenges by:

Signal integrity
Power Consumption

Operating voltage is reduced from 2.5V to 1.8V

Reduced core operating frequency
Core frequency = 1/2 the I/O frequency

Special New Features:

4-bit pre-fetch
On-die termination
Off-chip driver calibration

DDR Evolution

DDR and DDR-II

DDR-II Architecture

4-bit Pre-fetch

Single Data SDRAM

In most DRAMs, the core and the I/O logic are running at the same
frequency.

In SDRAM each output buffer can relase a single bit per clock cycle.

DDR (I)
In DDR, every I/O buffer can output two bits per clock cycle. Each
read command will transfer two bits from the array into the DQ. Since
the data are fetched from the array before they are released, the
memory parlance describes this as "prefetch of 2".

The simplest way to conceptualize this is to use two separate data lines
from the primary sense amps to the I/O buffers.
The DQs are then outputting the data in a time multiplexed manner,
meaning one bit at a time on the same output line
The easy way to do this is to collect the two bits in two separate pipeline
stages and then release them in the order of the queue on the rising and
the falling edge of the clock.
Because two bits are released to the bus per pin and clock cycle, the
protocol used is called double data rate or DDR.

4-bit Pre-fetch

DDR2 SDRAM
achieves high-speed
operation by 4-bit
prefetch architecture.

In 4-bit prefetch
architecture, DDR2
SDRAM can read/write
4 times the amount of
data as an external bus
from/to the memory cell
array for every clock,
and can be operated 4
times faster than the
internal bus operation
frequency.

ODT ( On-die termination )

On-die termination (ODT) has been added to the DDR2 data

signals to improve signal integrity in the system.
The termination value of RTT is the Thevinen equivalent of
the resistors that terminate the DQ inputs to VssQ and
VDDQ.
An ODT pin is added to the DRAM so the system can turn the
termination on and off as needed.

ODT (On Die Termination)

ODT (On Die Termination)

OCD( Off Chip Driver Calibration)

It is true that lower voltage swings enable higher frequencies but after
a certain point, the ramping of the voltages will show a significant
skew.

The skew can be reduced by increased drive strength, however, with the
drawback of a voltage overshoot / undershoot at the rising and falling
edges, respectively.

One additional problem with high frequency signaling is the

phenomenon of trace delays.

The solution in DDR was to add clock forwarding in form of a simple data
strobe.
DDR II takes things further by introducing a bidirectional, differential I/O
buffer strobe consisting of DQS and /DQS as pull-up and pull-down
signals.
Differential means that the two signals are measured against each other
instead of using a simple strobe signal and a reference point.
In theory the pull-up and pull-down signals should be mirror-symmetric to
each other but reality shows otherwise.

OCD( Off Chip Driver Calibration)

One way to solve the problem is to use Off-Chip Driver

calibration (OCD calibration) where both parts of the
differential strobes are calibrated against each other and
against the DQ signal.
Through this sort of calibration, the ramping voltages are
optimized for the buffer impedances to reduce over and
undershooting at the rising and falling edges.
Without OCD calibration, the DRAM has a nominal
output driver strength of 18 ohms +30% and a pull-up
and pulldown mismatch of up to 4 ohms.
Using OCD calibration, a system can reduce the pull-up
and pull-down mismatch and target the output driver at
18 ohms to optimize the signal integrity.

OCD( Off Chip Driver Calibration)

DDR, DDR2 Comparison Table

ISSCC 2003; Session17; SRAM and DRAM Memory

A 1.8V, 700Mb/s/pin, 512Mb DDR-II

SDRAM with On-Die Termination and
Off-Chip Driver Calibration
C. Yoo, K. Kyung, G. Han, K. Lim, H. Lee, J. Chai, N. Heo,
G. Byun, D. Lee, H. Choi, H. Choi, C. Kim, S. Cho
Samsung Electronics, Hwa-Sung, Korea

Abstract: A 1.8V 700Mb/s/pin 512Mb DDR

SDRAM is JEDEC standard compliant With the
hierarchical I/O line and local sensing.
For signal integrity at 533Mb/s, off-chip driver
calibration and on-die termination are employed.

Contents

Introduction
Data Path Architecture

Signal Integrity (SI) Improvement

Hierarchical I/O with Half-Vcc Precharge

Off-Chip Driver (OCD) Calibration
On-Die Termination (ODT)

Conclusion

Introduction

High Performance DRAM Trend

Fast Access Time

High Data Rate
Low Power Consumption

512M SDRAM with Improved Performance

Fast Access time by employing Hierarchical I/O

On-die termination & off-chip driver calibration :

sufficient signal integrity for > 533Mbps

Low voltage operation : 1.8V

CHIP Architecture

Data Path Architecture

Hierarchical I/O with Half-VCC Precharge

During read, the loading of GIO lines is

decoupled from LIO lines, resulting in improved
read access time.

Data Path Architecture

For fast access time, the data lines from the

array have hierarchical structure as local I/O
(LIO) and global I/O (GIO) lines.

The GIO/GIOB and LIO/LIOB lines are

precharged to VccA/2.

The loading of GIO lines decoupled from LIO lines,

improves the read access time by 3.5ns.

The Precharge time would be too long if the

Precharge level were VccA .

Real cycle time reduction by 4.23ns.

Data Path Architecture

Signal Integrity Improvement

Off-Chip Driver Calibration

On-Die Termination

The strength of DRAM off-chip driver is

calibrated interactively.
Termination resistors are placed inside DRAM
and chipset instead of the motherboard.

Better signal integrity than motherboard

terminated bus topology.

timing improvement by 130 ps.

Off-Chip Driver Calibration

Variable strength for Drivers.

During OCD calibration mode, chipset sets the
control codes.

On Die Termination

Same structure as OCD to have the same

on/off delay as OCD delay.

Thank You