Importance

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Abstract

A memory refresh circuit controls the refreshing of dynamic RAM included in a system wherein a control store outputs micro-code instructions to control the system operation in response to sequences specified by a sequence and interrupt logic circuit (SIL). A counter transmits certain counts of system machine cycles to an array logic device. In response to one count, the array logic device generates a memory refresh request signal which is applied to a RAM address logic circuit (RAL). The RAL monitors the micro-code instruction output at each machine cycle to determine whether the instruction will access the dynamic RAM during that machine cycle, and if no memory access is detected, the RAL generates a signal to initiate a memory refresh operation, which operation requires two machine cycles to complete. The array logic device also monitors the micro-code instructions to determine if and when a refresh operation was initiated. If the refresh operation was initiated, the array logic determines whether the instruction in the following machine cycle needs to access the dynamic RAM. If it does, the array logic device generates a freeze clock signal which causes the SIL to freeze the execution of the instruction until the refresh is complete, i.e. this refresh will be partially transparent. Alternatively, if no refresh has been initiated after a specified number of machine cycles, the array logic device generates an interrupt signal. In response to this interrupt, the SIL causes the control store to execute a pair of NOP instructions to cause an uninterrupted refresh operation.

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First Claim