System on Chip
Architecture Tutorial
-QSPI I/F
-Aviral Mittal
QSPI I/F on Microcontrollers.
Micro-controllers typically will have most of the code storage in
off chip Flash memory. The flash memory may be accessed by a
SPI/QSPI/OSPI I/F on the SoC.
These interfaces are frequency limited as they go off chip. Typical
range of working can be low 10s of MHz to 200 MHz max today (Feb
2021).
The accesses to the memory devices are serial in nature.
1. Assert Chip Select
2. Send Command
3. Send Start address of the data
4. Send Mode bits
5. Send Dummy bytes for required time delay before data access.
6. Get/Put as much data as desired starting from the 'start
address'. Entire memory array can be fetched/Stored
7. If jump to a non-serial different address is required,
De-assert the Chip select and then Go to Step 1. Certain devices may
allow to skip the sending of the command phase, if the device is
programmed to do so. This will help as while making a address jump,
less serial 'rituals' will be needed which will save time and power.
Note that the SPI/QSPI/OSPI I/F can work in DDR (double data rate)
mode. In this mode, both edges of the clock are used, which doubles
the data transfer bandwidth.
PSRAM:
The SPI/QSPI/OSPI I/F may also be used to access off chip PSRAM
(pseudo static ram), sometimes its also called Cellular RAM. However
PS-RAM is volatile, if power is off, data is lost. PSRAM is suited
for expanding the on-chip RAM for applications which require more
memory.
PSRAM has many synonyms : IoT RAM, Cellular RAM, FCRAM (Fast Cycle
Ram)
PSRAM is a compromise. It typically has higher costs then SDRAM, but
these have less access latencies than SDRAM. As compared to on chip
RAMs of course PSRAM is slow, but cheaper. As compared to Flash, its
going to be way faster.
Note that PSRAM typically has SRAM I/F, but these are also produced
with QSPI/OSPI I/Fs to make them compatible with Flash Interfaces.
In Microcontroller world this provides pin saving advantages, as
single QSPI/OSPI I/F can be shared with 2 difference devices (1)
Flash and (2) PSRAM, by using a difference 'Chip Select' signal for
the device.
HyperRAM/HyperRAM:
Apparently the HyperRAM has lower stand-by power consumption than
PSRAM, it can use the same OSPI I/F. The Operation Power appears the
same between HyperRam and PSRAM. However the HyperRam has a
differential clock requirement for 1.8V version as per cypress.
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