S10 — How to Read a Memory Datasheet
Key Insight: Engineers who can read a datasheet can make correct product decisions.
Basic Structure of a Datasheet
A memory datasheet typically contains the following main sections:
Typical memory datasheet structure:
1. Overview
- Capacity, model number, voltage, package
2. Architecture
- Organization (e.g., 1G × 8, 2G × 4, etc.)
- Number of banks, rows/columns count
3. DC Characteristics
- Voltage range, power consumption, I/O standard
4. AC Characteristics
- Timing parameters (tCL, tRCD, tRP, tRAS, etc.)
5. Pin Description
- Function of each pin
6. Command Truth Table
- Encoding of ACT, READ, WRITE, PRE, REF commands
7. Package Dimensions
- Size, pin pitchKey Parameter Interpretation
Capacity Notation
Capacity notation: Organization × bit width
Example: MT40A512M16HX-062E:B
Breakdown:
MT40A = Micron 40A series (40nm process)
512M = 512 Megabit (not Byte!)
16 = ×16 bit width
HX = DDR4-2666 (HX = DDR4-2666 model code)
062E = 62E package (FBGA, 78-ball)
:B = Revision
Total capacity = 512 Mb = 64 MB (8 bits/byte)
If a DIMM is built with 16 such chips for 8GB:
16 chips × 64 MB = 1024 MB = 1 GB ... wrong?
512 Mb = 0.5 Gbit = 0.0625 GByte
16 chips × 0.5 Gbit = 8 Gbit = 1 GB
16 chips × 16-bit = 256-bit total width
256 / 8 = 32 bytes parallel... this is a dual-rank 16GB configurationUnderstanding capacity: When you see “512M16”, first confirm it’s 512 Mbit (not 512 MByte). Divide by 8 to get MB.
Speed Grade
DDR4 speed grades (JEDEC standard):
DDR4-2133: 2133 MT/s, CL=15, tRCD=15, tRP=15
DDR4-2400: 2400 MT/s, CL=17, tRCD=17, tRP=17
DDR4-2666: 2666 MT/s, CL=19, tRCD=19, tRP=19
DDR4-3200: 3200 MT/s, CL=22, tRCD=22, tRP=22
MT/s meaning:
DDR4-3200 = 3200 Mega Transfers per second = 3.2 GT/s
Actual clock frequency:
3200 / 2 = 1600 MHz (DDR is double-edged)
CL (CAS Latency):
Time from issuing Column address to data appearing at output
DDR4-3200 CL22 ≈ 13.75ns (22 / 3200 × 1000)
Smaller number = lower latency.Detailed Timing Parameter Explanation
The most important part of a DDR Datasheet is the Timing Parameters:
DDR4 main timing parameters:
tCL (CL, CAS Latency):
Number of clock cycles from READ command to valid data output
CL=15 → 15 clock cycles before data is available
tRCD (RAS to CAS Delay):
Time between ACT (activate row) and READ/WRITE (column access)
tRCD=13.5ns (DDR4-2400)
Too long increases access latency
tRP (Row Precharge Delay):
Time between PRE (precharge) and ACT (re-activate)
tRP=13.5ns (DDR4-2400)
tRAS (Row Active Time):
Minimum time a row must stay open after ACT
tRAS = 35ns (varies by spec)
tRFC (Refresh Cycle Time):
Time needed to complete a refresh operation
tRFC = 350ns (DDR4-8Gb)
The longest single timing parameter
tCCD (Column to Column Delay):
Minimum interval between two consecutive READ/WRITE commands
tCCD = 4 cycles (DDR4)
Determines memory bandwidth ceilingUsing timing parameters to calculate latency:
DDR4-3200 CL22:
tCL = 22 cycles × (1/1600 MHz) = 13.75ns
tRCD = 22 cycles × (1/1600 MHz) = 13.75ns
tRP = 22 cycles × (1/1600 MHz) = 13.75ns
Random read latency (page miss):
tRP (close old row) + tRCD (activate new row) + tCL (read data)
= 13.75 + 13.75 + 13.75 = 41.25ns
Sequential read latency (page hit):
tCL = 13.75ns
Conclusion: Page miss is 3× slower than page hitPractical Reading Examples
Example 1: Micron MT40A512M16HX-062E:B
Look at the datasheet:
1. Overview section: DDR4 SDRAM, 512Mb × 16 = 8Gb total
2. Speed: DDR4-2666, CL19-19-19
3. Voltage: VDD=1.2V, VPP=2.5V
4. Architecture: 8 Banks, 16 KB page size
5. Package: 78-ball FBGA
Example 2: Comparing two memory sticks for latency:
DDR4-3200 CL22: first-word latency = 22 / 1600 MHz = 13.75ns
DDR4-2666 CL19: first-word latency = 19 / 1333 MHz = 14.25ns
DDR4-3200 CL22 actually has lower latency than DDR4-2666 CL19!
Important: Always calculate actual time (ns), not just CL value
because clock frequency affects the final latency
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