From 01a6e28b5096aea6801a21bdc20bf1de32833af5 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Mauro Carvalho Chehab Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2012 13:17:48 -0300 Subject: edac: Improve the comments to better describe the memory concepts The Computer memory terminology has changed with time since EDAC was originally written: new concepts were introduced, and some things have different meanings, depending on the memory architecture. Improve the definition of all related terms. Also, describe each memory type in a more detailed fashion. No functional changes. Just comments were touched. Acked-by: Borislav Petkov Signed-off-by: Mauro Carvalho Chehab diff --git a/include/linux/edac.h b/include/linux/edac.h index 1cd3947..0714d67 100644 --- a/include/linux/edac.h +++ b/include/linux/edac.h @@ -66,25 +66,64 @@ enum dev_type { #define DEV_FLAG_X32 BIT(DEV_X32) #define DEV_FLAG_X64 BIT(DEV_X64) -/* memory types */ +/** + * enum mem_type - memory types. For a more detailed reference, please see + * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DRAM + * + * @MEM_EMPTY Empty csrow + * @MEM_RESERVED: Reserved csrow type + * @MEM_UNKNOWN: Unknown csrow type + * @MEM_FPM: FPM - Fast Page Mode, used on systems up to 1995. + * @MEM_EDO: EDO - Extended data out, used on systems up to 1998. + * @MEM_BEDO: BEDO - Burst Extended data out, an EDO variant. + * @MEM_SDR: SDR - Single data rate SDRAM + * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synchronous_dynamic_random-access_memory + * They use 3 pins for chip select: Pins 0 and 2 are + * for rank 0; pins 1 and 3 are for rank 1, if the memory + * is dual-rank. + * @MEM_RDR: Registered SDR SDRAM + * @MEM_DDR: Double data rate SDRAM + * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDR_SDRAM + * @MEM_RDDR: Registered Double data rate SDRAM + * This is a variant of the DDR memories. + * A registered memory has a buffer inside it, hiding + * part of the memory details to the memory controller. + * @MEM_RMBS: Rambus DRAM, used on a few Pentium III/IV controllers. + * @MEM_DDR2: DDR2 RAM, as described at JEDEC JESD79-2F. + * Those memories are labed as "PC2-" instead of "PC" to + * differenciate from DDR. + * @MEM_FB_DDR2: Fully-Buffered DDR2, as described at JEDEC Std No. 205 + * and JESD206. + * Those memories are accessed per DIMM slot, and not by + * a chip select signal. + * @MEM_RDDR2: Registered DDR2 RAM + * This is a variant of the DDR2 memories. + * @MEM_XDR: Rambus XDR + * It is an evolution of the original RAMBUS memories, + * created to compete with DDR2. Weren't used on any + * x86 arch, but cell_edac PPC memory controller uses it. + * @MEM_DDR3: DDR3 RAM + * @MEM_RDDR3: Registered DDR3 RAM + * This is a variant of the DDR3 memories. + */ enum mem_type { - MEM_EMPTY = 0, /* Empty csrow */ - MEM_RESERVED, /* Reserved csrow type */ - MEM_UNKNOWN, /* Unknown csrow type */ - MEM_FPM, /* Fast page mode */ - MEM_EDO, /* Extended data out */ - MEM_BEDO, /* Burst Extended data out */ - MEM_SDR, /* Single data rate SDRAM */ - MEM_RDR, /* Registered single data rate SDRAM */ - MEM_DDR, /* Double data rate SDRAM */ - MEM_RDDR, /* Registered Double data rate SDRAM */ - MEM_RMBS, /* Rambus DRAM */ - MEM_DDR2, /* DDR2 RAM */ - MEM_FB_DDR2, /* fully buffered DDR2 */ - MEM_RDDR2, /* Registered DDR2 RAM */ - MEM_XDR, /* Rambus XDR */ - MEM_DDR3, /* DDR3 RAM */ - MEM_RDDR3, /* Registered DDR3 RAM */ + MEM_EMPTY = 0, + MEM_RESERVED, + MEM_UNKNOWN, + MEM_FPM, + MEM_EDO, + MEM_BEDO, + MEM_SDR, + MEM_RDR, + MEM_DDR, + MEM_RDDR, + MEM_RMBS, + MEM_DDR2, + MEM_FB_DDR2, + MEM_RDDR2, + MEM_XDR, + MEM_DDR3, + MEM_RDDR3, }; #define MEM_FLAG_EMPTY BIT(MEM_EMPTY) @@ -162,8 +201,9 @@ enum scrub_type { #define OP_OFFLINE 0x300 /* - * There are several things to be aware of that aren't at all obvious: + * Concepts used at the EDAC subsystem * + * There are several things to be aware of that aren't at all obvious: * * SOCKETS, SOCKET SETS, BANKS, ROWS, CHIP-SELECT ROWS, CHANNELS, etc.. * @@ -172,36 +212,61 @@ enum scrub_type { * creating a common ground for discussion, terms and their definitions * will be established. * - * Memory devices: The individual chip on a memory stick. These devices - * commonly output 4 and 8 bits each. Grouping several - * of these in parallel provides 64 bits which is common - * for a memory stick. + * Memory devices: The individual DRAM chips on a memory stick. These + * devices commonly output 4 and 8 bits each (x4, x8). + * Grouping several of these in parallel provides the + * number of bits that the memory controller expects: + * typically 72 bits, in order to provide 64 bits + + * 8 bits of ECC data. * * Memory Stick: A printed circuit board that aggregates multiple - * memory devices in parallel. This is the atomic - * memory component that is purchaseable by Joe consumer - * and loaded into a memory socket. + * memory devices in parallel. In general, this is the + * Field Replaceable Unit (FRU) which gets replaced, in + * the case of excessive errors. Most often it is also + * called DIMM (Dual Inline Memory Module). * - * Socket: A physical connector on the motherboard that accepts - * a single memory stick. + * Memory Socket: A physical connector on the motherboard that accepts + * a single memory stick. Also called as "slot" on several + * datasheets. * - * Channel: Set of memory devices on a memory stick that must be - * grouped in parallel with one or more additional - * channels from other memory sticks. This parallel - * grouping of the output from multiple channels are - * necessary for the smallest granularity of memory access. - * Some memory controllers are capable of single channel - - * which means that memory sticks can be loaded - * individually. Other memory controllers are only - * capable of dual channel - which means that memory - * sticks must be loaded as pairs (see "socket set"). + * Channel: A memory controller channel, responsible to communicate + * with a group of DIMMs. Each channel has its own + * independent control (command) and data bus, and can + * be used independently or grouped with other channels. * - * Chip-select row: All of the memory devices that are selected together. - * for a single, minimum grain of memory access. - * This selects all of the parallel memory devices across - * all of the parallel channels. Common chip-select rows - * for single channel are 64 bits, for dual channel 128 - * bits. + * Branch: It is typically the highest hierarchy on a + * Fully-Buffered DIMM memory controller. + * Typically, it contains two channels. + * Two channels at the same branch can be used in single + * mode or in lockstep mode. + * When lockstep is enabled, the cacheline is doubled, + * but it generally brings some performance penalty. + * Also, it is generally not possible to point to just one + * memory stick when an error occurs, as the error + * correction code is calculated using two DIMMs instead + * of one. Due to that, it is capable of correcting more + * errors than on single mode. + * + * Single-channel: The data accessed by the memory controller is contained + * into one dimm only. E. g. if the data is 64 bits-wide, + * the data flows to the CPU using one 64 bits parallel + * access. + * Typically used with SDR, DDR, DDR2 and DDR3 memories. + * FB-DIMM and RAMBUS use a different concept for channel, + * so this concept doesn't apply there. + * + * Double-channel: The data size accessed by the memory controller is + * interlaced into two dimms, accessed at the same time. + * E. g. if the DIMM is 64 bits-wide (72 bits with ECC), + * the data flows to the CPU using a 128 bits parallel + * access. + * + * Chip-select row: This is the name of the DRAM signal used to select the + * DRAM ranks to be accessed. Common chip-select rows for + * single channel are 64 bits, for dual channel 128 bits. + * It may not be visible by the memory controller, as some + * DIMM types have a memory buffer that can hide direct + * access to it from the Memory Controller. * * Single-Ranked stick: A Single-ranked stick has 1 chip-select row of memory. * Motherboards commonly drive two chip-select pins to @@ -214,8 +279,8 @@ enum scrub_type { * * Double-sided stick: DEPRECATED TERM, see Double-Ranked stick. * A double-sided stick has two chip-select rows which - * access different sets of memory devices. The two - * rows cannot be accessed concurrently. "Double-sided" + * access different sets of memory devices. The two + * rows cannot be accessed concurrently. "Double-sided" * is irrespective of the memory devices being mounted * on both sides of the memory stick. * -- cgit v0.10.2