SDRAM row page size wierdness

Richard Smith rsmith at bitworks.com
Mon Apr 21 21:19:01 CEST 2003


Richard Smith wrote:

Ok...  I got the page size detection worked out.  I'm still confused but 
at least it works.

Going back over the original  440BX code I noticed that it used the 
number of _column_ address rather than the number of row adresses.  At 
first I thought this was a typo (spd loc 4 rather than 3).  This was 
further reenforced by the 440gx code and Eriks general code which use 
the number of row adress bits.

Sounds logical... The number of row adress bits indicating row page size 
  but...

After testing several DIMMs using the row address bits failed in about 
50% of the cases so I started looking back at the column address bits. 
I don't understand why but if you use the number of column address bits 
as a index for what page size to use it works great.

Basically just subtract 8 from the value to shift it down to zero.
8 column bits = 2k page
9 = 4k
10 = 8k

The 440bx dosen't do beyond 8k pages.

I tested as many different DIMMs as I could find here and they all work.

Any ideas on why this would be the case?

-- 
Richard A. Smith
rsmith at bitworks.com





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