KR101948152B1 - Apparatus and method for testing memory module - Google Patents

Abstract

An inspection apparatus of a memory module comprises: an interposer substrate mounted on a computer program and configured to be electrically connected to the computer system; a nonvolatile memory loaded on the interposer substrate and configured to program serial presence detect (SPD) data of the memory module; and a socket mounting a module, which is connected to the interposer substrate and is mounted to allow the memory module to be attachable and detachable. When using the inspection apparatus, a memory module inspection is possible without programming SPD data per a memory module so as to reduce inspection time and increase production by programming SPD information of the memory module to a nonvolatile memory connected to the interposer substrate instead of the memory module.

Description

[0001] APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TESTING MEMORY MODULE [0002]

More specifically, by programming Serial Presence Detect (SPD) data of a memory module into an interposer type inspection device instead of a memory module, And to enable inspection of a memory module without having to perform SPD data programming for each memory module.

For the operation of a computer system such as a personal computer (PC), a notebook computer, and a server computer, a memory device must be basically provided together with a central processing unit (CPU). As a memory element of a computer system, a memory module including a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or a DDR-SDRAM (Double Data Rate-Synchronous DRAM) is mainly used. A memory module is a motherboard ).

FIG. 1A is a configuration diagram of a conventional memory module, and FIG. 1B is a configuration diagram of a conventional system for testing a memory module.

1A, a conventional memory module 10 includes a printed circuit board (PCB) 101, one or more memory devices 102, and an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM) Read-only memory) (103). The memory module 10 is mounted on a mounting socket 25 provided in a computer system 20 such as a PC, a notebook computer, or a server computer.

In this case, in order to inspect the memory module 10 using the computer system 20, it is necessary to previously program the serial presence detect (SPD) data in the EEPROM 103 mounted on the memory module 10 Respectively. The SPD data is composed of information related to the configuration of the memory module 10 and information of the used DRAM. The data values of the configuration are values defined by Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC) I have to follow.

Therefore, the mass production process of a general memory module is performed by 1) assembling a memory module, 2) programming the SPD data of each memory module, and 3) mounting and inspecting the system of the memory module, Assembling the module will cause problems when mounting the memory module system. For example, in order to perform in-line monitoring of a malfunction in a module assembly line, it is necessary to program the SPD data after assembly of the module, inspect the memory module by mounting the memory module in the system An inconvenient process of removing the SPD data again is required.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2007-0079655

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor memory device including a plurality of memory modules, each memory module including a plurality of memory modules, It is possible to provide an inspection apparatus and method of a memory module capable of performing inspection.

An apparatus for inspecting a memory module according to an exemplary embodiment includes an interposer substrate mounted on a computer system and configured to be electrically connected to the computer system; A nonvolatile memory mounted on the interposer substrate and configured to be programmed with Serial Presence Detect (SPD) of a memory module; And a module mounting socket connected to the interposer substrate for removably mounting the memory module.

In one embodiment, the memory module mounted in the socket does not include the serial configuration aware data.

In one embodiment, the non-volatile memory is an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).

In one embodiment, the interposer substrate is detachably mounted to a socket provided in the computer system.

The inspecting apparatus for a memory module according to an exemplary embodiment includes: a first signal line for electrically connecting the computer system, the interposer substrate, and the module mounting socket; And a second signal line electrically connecting the computer system, the interposer substrate, and the nonvolatile memory, wherein the second signal line is not connected to the module mounting socket.

In one embodiment, the non-volatile memory includes a plurality of non-volatile memories each of which is programmed with different serial configuration recognition data, and the second signal line connects the interposer substrate and the plurality of non-volatile memories respectively, And a plurality of second signal lines that are selected and operated by the second signal lines.

A method of inspecting a memory module according to an embodiment includes: programming serial configuration recognition data of the memory module to a nonvolatile memory of an inspection apparatus of the memory module; Mounting the testing device in a computer system; Mounting the memory module in a module mounting socket of the testing apparatus; And advancing the examination of the memory module using the serial configuration recognition data programmed into the testing device.

In one embodiment, the memory module mounted in the socket does not include the serial configuration aware data.

In one embodiment, the non-volatile memory is an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).

The method of inspecting a memory module according to an embodiment further includes disconnecting the memory module from which the inspection has been completed, from the module mounting socket of the inspection apparatus.

The method of inspecting a memory module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may further include receiving a user input for a memory module to be tested and serial configuration recognition data before programming the serial configuration recognition data, Is performed based on the memory module and the serial configuration recognition data defined by the user input.

In one embodiment, the non-volatile memory includes a plurality of non-volatile memories, each of which is differently programmed with the serial configuration recognition data. The checking method of the memory module may further include selecting a nonvolatile memory to be used among the plurality of nonvolatile memories before proceeding with the inspection of the memory module.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus and method for inspecting a memory module, comprising: a memory module for storing serial presence detect (SPD) data in a non-volatile memory connected to an interposer substrate of a testing apparatus For example, EEPROM), it is possible to inspect the memory module without having to perform the SPD data programming for each memory module, so that the inspection time can be shortened and the production amount can be increased.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a plurality of nonvolatile memories can be mounted on an interposer substrate of an inspection apparatus of a memory module, and each of the nonvolatile memories can be independently controlled and power on / off is enabled , It is possible to efficiently conduct inspection according to various types of memory modules and SPD data selected by the user. An apparatus and method for testing a memory module according to an aspect of the present invention having such characteristics can be usefully used for in-line monitoring in a module assembly line.

1A is a block diagram of a conventional memory module.
1B is a block diagram of a conventional system for inspecting a memory module.
2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an inspection apparatus for a memory module according to an embodiment.
3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a system including an inspection apparatus for a memory module according to an embodiment.
Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating the electrical connection of the system shown in Figure 3;
5 is a flowchart of a method of inspecting a memory module according to an embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Where reference in the specification to "above " another part, it may be directly on the other part or be accompanied by another part therebetween. In contrast, when a section is referred to as being "directly above" another section, no other section is involved.

Herein, the terms first, second and third, etc. are used to describe various parts, components, regions, layers and / or sections, but are not limited thereto. These terms are only used to distinguish any moiety, element, region, layer or section from another moiety, moiety, region, layer or section. Thus, a first portion, component, region, layer or section described below may be referred to as a second portion, component, region, layer or section without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The singular forms as used herein include plural forms as long as the phrases do not expressly express the opposite meaning thereto. Means that a particular feature, region, integer, step, operation, element and / or component is specified and that the presence or absence of other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / It does not exclude addition.

The term " below ", "above ", and the like, which denote relative space in this specification, can be used to more easily describe the relationship to other parts of a part shown in the drawings. These terms are intended to include other meanings or acts of the apparatus in use, as well as intended meanings in the drawings. For example, when inverting a device in the figures, certain parts that are described as being "below" other parts are described as being "above " other parts. Thus, an exemplary term "below" includes both up and down directions. The device can be rotated by 90 degrees or rotated at different angles, and terms indicating relative space are interpreted accordingly.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms including technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Commonly used predefined terms are further interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the relevant technical literature and the present disclosure, and are not to be construed as ideal or very formal meanings unless defined otherwise.

2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an inspection apparatus for a memory module according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 2, an inspection apparatus of a memory module according to the present embodiment includes an interposer substrate 301, a module mounting socket 302, and a nonvolatile memory 303. The interposer substrate 301 is a substrate for connecting between a computer system and a memory module, and may be, for example, a printed circuit board (PCB).

The module mounting socket 302 may be configured such that a memory module including a memory device (e.g., a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or a Double Data Rate-Synchronous DRAM (DDR-SDRAM) And the memory module mounted on the module mounting socket 302 may be electrically connected to the interposer substrate 301. [0050]

The nonvolatile memory 303 is a memory element in which serial presence detect (SPD) data associated with a memory module to be mounted in the module mounting socket 302 can be programmed by the user. SPD data refers to a data structure for transferring information of a memory module to a basic input / output system (BIOS) of a computer system when the computer system is booted. For example, the SPD data includes information on the manufacturer, clock, (Manufacturer, specification, capacity, and bandwidth), a CAS (Latency), an operation voltage, and an ECC (Error Correcting Code).

The nonvolatile memory 303 is constituted by a memory element which can be controlled by the user on and off of the power supply and maintains the stored state of the SPD data stored even when the power is off. For example, the non-volatile memory 303 may be an EEPROM (Electronically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory).

Although a single nonvolatile memory 303 is shown in FIG. 2 for the sake of convenience of explanation, it is an example that the plurality of nonvolatile memories 303 may be mounted on the interposer substrate 301, (303) are each independently programmed and the power source can be controlled independently. For example, the plurality of nonvolatile memories 303 may be programmed with different SPD data, and one of them may be selected to perform the inspection.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a system including an inspection apparatus of a memory module according to an embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an electrical connection of the system shown in FIG. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the testing device 30 of the memory module may be electrically connected to the computer system 40. The inspecting device 30 of the memory module is mounted to the computer system 40 in such a manner that the interposer substrate 301 of the inspecting device 30 is detachably mounted to the socket 45 of the computer system 40 A first signal line 70 for memory input / output, and a second signal line 80 for input / output of SPD data, respectively.

The computer system 40 on which the memory module testing device 30 is mounted may be any type of computing device that can use memory devices such as a personal computer (PC), a notebook computer, a server computer, The present invention is not limited thereto. The socket 45 is also provided on a motherboard (not shown) or the like of the computer system 40 and is mechanically coupled to the interposer substrate 301 and coupled to the computer system 40 and the interposer substrate 301 Refers to a connection that enables electrical connection of the circuit.

The memory module 60 can be detachably mounted on the module mounting socket 302 of the testing device 30 of the memory module. The memory module 60 mounted on the module mounting socket 302 is electrically connected to the interposer substrate 301 of the testing device 30 of the memory module through the first signal line 70 and is electrically connected to the interposer substrate 301 (Not shown). On the other hand, the memory module 60 mounted in the module mounting socket 302 may not have the SPD data programmed.

The second signal line 80 for inputting and outputting the SPD data is electrically connected to the computer system 40 and the interposer substrate 301 and the nonvolatile memory 303, Is not connected to the module mounting socket 302 for mounting. As a result, the second signal line 80 is redundantly connected to the non-volatile memory 303 of the testing device 30 of the memory module and the non-volatile memory (not shown) of the memory module 60, It is possible to prevent the occurrence of an error due to the redundant selection.

The second signal line 80 is connected to the interposer substrate 301 and the plurality of nonvolatile memories 303 when the plurality of nonvolatile memories 303 is mounted on the interposer substrate 301. In this embodiment, And the inspection device 30 of the memory module may include a switch (not shown) for selecting the second signal line 80 and the nonvolatile memory 303 to be used among them. Different SPD data are programmed in the plurality of nonvolatile memories 303, and the nonvolatile memory 303 to be used for the inspection can be selected by using the switches. According to the present embodiment, it is possible to eliminate the inconvenience of using a plurality of inspection apparatuses according to the type of SPD data.

5 is a flowchart of a method of inspecting a memory module according to an embodiment. For convenience of explanation, a method of inspecting a memory module according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. FIG.

First, the testing device 30 of the memory module may receive a user input defining the memory module to be tested and the SPD data to be used (S1). Specifically, if a memory module to be inspected is determined by user input, SPD data that conforms to the type and / or standard of the memory module may be selected from the defined SPD data corresponding to the module. For example, the user may select the type and / or size of the memory module, or determine the manufacturer, clock, capacity, DRAM chip information (manufacturer, specification, capacity, bandwidth), CAS latency, ECC, and so on, and the SPD data to be used can be defined.

Once the memory module and the SPD data are defined, the SPD data can be programmed into the testing device 30 of the memory module (S2). The process of programming SPD data is a process of storing SPD data in a nonvolatile memory (for example, an EEPROM) 303 provided in an inspecting apparatus 30 of a memory module, and the data promised to a predetermined address of the nonvolatile memory For example. In one embodiment, the non-volatile memory may be read after a predetermined number of data is written, thereby further checking whether the data actually recorded is different from the data to be recorded. For example, the data 0x80 is written in the address 0x00 of the EEPROM, the data 0x10 is written in the address 0x01, and the data 0xFF is written in the address 0x1FF in the same manner. Then, the EEPROM is re- Can be confirmed.

Next, the interposer substrate 301 of the testing device 30 of the memory module including the non-volatile memory 303 and the module mounting socket 302 can be mounted to the socket 45 of the computer system 40 (S3). At this time, the module mounting socket 302 of the inspecting device 30 of the memory module and the interposer substrate 301 are electrically connected to the computer system 40 through the first signal line 70. The nonvolatile memory 303 of the testing apparatus 30 of the memory module is electrically connected to the interposer substrate 301 and the computer system 40 through the second signal line 80. [

Next, the memory module 60 in which the SPD data is not programmed can be mounted to the module mounting socket 302 of the testing device 30 of the memory module (S4), and the examination of the memory module 60 can be performed S5). The inspection progress of the memory module 60 is performed by turning on the power of the computer system 40 while the memory module 60 is mounted to the computer system 40 via the testing device 30 of the memory module and turning on the computer system 40 And executing a test program accompanied by data input / output to the memory module 60 on the memory module 60. When the inspection is completed, the user can confirm the inspection result through the computer system 40.

The tested memory module 60 is detachably mounted on the module mounting socket 302 of the testing device 30 of the memory module so that the memory module 60 that has been inspected is mounted on the module of the testing device 30 of the memory module And is separated from the socket 302 (S6). Thereafter, if there is a memory module to be further inspected (S7), the next memory module 60 to be inspected is mounted on the module mounting socket 302 of the testing device 30 of the memory module without SPD data being programmed, The inspection can be carried out in the same manner as the inspection. If there are no more memory modules to be inspected, the inspection procedure is terminated.

Previously, the SPD data was programmed for each memory module, and the SPD data was removed from the memory module after inspecting the SPD data by inserting it into the computer system. Whenever the memory module to be tested is changed, . SPD data used for in-line monitoring in the module assembly line may be different from SPD data in actual production when there are many kinds of product specifications and selective production according to sales request Therefore, the evaluation SPD data used in the test equipment must be removed after inspection. However, according to the conventional technology, since the SPD data has to be programmed for each memory module, it takes much time and cost to perform the inspection.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the programming of the SPD data may be performed only once for the testing device of the memory module. Thereafter, only the memory module is interchanged while the testing device is mounted in the computer system Since the inspection of the memory module can be performed, it is possible to inspect the memory module without performing the SPD data programming for each memory module, thereby shortening the inspection time and increasing the production amount.

According to the embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of nonvolatile memories can be mounted on the interposer substrate of the testing apparatus, and each nonvolatile memory can be independently controlled and the power can be turned on and off, It is possible to efficiently perform inspection according to various types of memory module and SPD data selected by the user. An apparatus and method for inspecting a memory module according to an embodiment of the present invention having such a characteristic can be usefully used for in-line monitoring in a module assembly line.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. However, it should be understood that such modifications are within the technical scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the true scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical idea of the appended claims.

Claims (12)

An interposer substrate mounted on the computer system and configured to be electrically connected to the computer system;
A non-volatile memory mounted on the interposer substrate, the non-volatile memory being configured to program serial configuration recognition data of the memory module;
A module mounting socket connected to the interposer substrate and for detachably mounting the memory module;
A first signal line for electrically connecting the computer system, the interposer substrate and the module mounting socket; And
And a second signal line electrically connecting the computer system, the interposer substrate, and the nonvolatile memory,
And the second signal line is not connected to the module mounting socket. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the memory module mounted on the socket does not include the serial configuration recognition data. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the non-volatile memory is an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM). The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the interposer substrate is detachably mounted on a socket provided in the computer system. delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the nonvolatile memory includes a plurality of nonvolatile memories each of which is differently programmed with the serial configuration recognition data,
Wherein the second signal line includes a plurality of second signal lines connected to the interposer substrate and the plurality of nonvolatile memories, respectively, and selected and operated by a switch. Programming the serial configuration recognition data of the memory module into a non-volatile memory of the testing device of the memory module;
Mounting the testing device in a computer system;
Mounting the memory module in a module mounting socket of the testing apparatus; And
And advancing the examination of the memory module using the serial configuration recognition data programmed into the testing device,
Further comprising receiving user input for memory configuration module and serial configuration recognition data to be tested prior to programming the serial configuration recognition data,
Wherein programming the serial configuration recognition data is performed based on the memory module and the serial configuration recognition data defined by the user input. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the memory module mounted in the socket does not include the serial configuration recognition data. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the non-volatile memory is an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM). 8. The method of claim 7,
Further comprising the step of detaching the memory module having been inspected from the module mounting socket of the testing apparatus. delete Programming the serial configuration recognition data of the memory module into a non-volatile memory of the testing device of the memory module;
Mounting the testing device in a computer system;
Mounting the memory module in a module mounting socket of the testing apparatus; And
And advancing the examination of the memory module using the serial configuration recognition data programmed into the testing device,
Wherein the nonvolatile memory includes a plurality of nonvolatile memories each of which is differently programmed with the serial configuration recognition data,
Further comprising the step of selecting a nonvolatile memory to be used among the plurality of nonvolatile memories before proceeding with the examination of the memory module.

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