1. A power management method comprising:
providing one or more memory modules each comprising one or more faces, multiple channels on one or more of the faces, multiple memory devices on each channel, the memory devices being configured for operation in lock-step; and
assigning device IDs for each device, the device IDs being arranged so that power dissipation per face is minimized.
2. The power management method of claim 1, wherein the memory devices are disposed on each of the faces for at least some of the modules.
3. The power management method of claim 1, wherein corresponding devices on each channel are assigned the same device ID, the device IDs being arranged to maximize the physical distance between corresponding devices.
4. The power management method of claim 3, wherein the physical distance between corresponding devices is maximized on a per face basis, where corresponding devices can appear on the same face of the module.
5. The power management method of claim 1, wherein corresponding devices on each channel are assigned the same device ID, the device IDs being arranged so that corresponding devices are on different faces of the module or on different modules.
6. The power management method of claim 1, wherein corresponding devices on each channel are assigned the same device ID, the device IDs being arranged: (1) to maximize the physical distance between corresponding devices; and (2) so that corresponding devices are on different faces of a module or on different modules.
7. The power management method of claim 6, wherein all corresponding devices are on different faces of a module.
8. The power management method of claim 1, wherein said assigning is performed by a memory controller that is operably connected to the one or more memory modules.
9. The power management method of claim 1, wherein said assigning is performed by a memory controller that is operably connected to the one or more memory modules, said assigning taking place at initialization time.
10. The power management method of claim 1, wherein said assigning is performed when the one or more memory modules are manufactured.
11. The power management method of claim 1 further comprising operating the one or more memory modules in lock-step.
12. A power management method comprising;:
providing one or more memory modules each comprising one or more faces, multiple channels on one or more of the faces, multiple DRAM devices on each channel, the DRAM devices being configured for operation in lock-step; and
assigning device IDs for each DRAM device, corresponding DRAM devices on different channels having the same device ID, the device IDs being arranged so that no two DRAM devices have the same device ID on any one face.
13. The power management method of claim 12, wherein the memory module comprises two or more DRAM devices on each channel.
14. The power management method of claim 12, wherein the memory module comprises four or more DRAM devices on each channel.
15. The power management method of claim 12, wherein the memory module comprises four or more DRAM devices on each face.
16. The power management method of claim 12, wherein the memory module comprises eight or more DRAM devices on the module.
17. The power management method of claim 12, wherein the memory module comprises DRAM devices on each face.
18. The power management method of claim 12, wherein said assigning is performed by a memory controller that is operably connected to the memory module.
19. A power management method comprising:
providing one or more memory modules each comprising one or more faces, multiple channels on one or more of the faces, multiple DRAM devices on each channel, the DRAM devices being configured for operation in lock-step; and
assigning device IDs for each DRAM device, corresponding DRAM devices on different channels having the same device ID, the device IDs being arranged so that the physical distance between corresponding devices is maximized.
20. The power management method of claim 19, wherein corresponding DRAM devices are disposed on different faces of a module.
21. The power management method of claim 19, wherein all corresponding DRAM devices are disposed on different faces of a module.
22. The power management method of claim 19, wherein at least some corresponding DRAM devices are disposed on different modules.
23. The power management method of claim 19, wherein memory module comprises two or more DRAM devices on each channel.
24. The power management method of claim 19, wherein memory module comprises four or more DRAM devices on each channel.
25. The power management method of claim 19, wherein memory module comprises four or more DRAM devices on each face.
26. The power management method of claim 19, wherein memory module comprises eight or more DRAM devices on the module.
27. The power management method of claim 19, wherein memory module comprises DRAM devices on each face.
28. The power management method of claim 19, wherein said assigning is performed by a memory controller that is operably connected with the memory module.
29. The power management method of claim 19 further comprising operating the memory module in lock-step.
30. A power management method comprising:
providing one or more memory modules each comprising one or more faces, multiple channels on one or more of the faces, multiple memory devices on each channel, the memory devices being configured for operation in lock-step; and
assigning device IDs for each memory device, corresponding memory devices on different channels having the same device ID, wherein there are enough memory devices so that at least one pair of corresponding devices have to appear on the same face of a module, the device IDs being arranged so that the physical distance between corresponding devices on a face is maximized.
31. The power management method of claim 30, wherein the memory module comprises four or more devices on a channel.
32. The power management method of claim 30, wherein the memory module comprises four or more channels.
33. The power management method of claim 32, wherein the memory module comprises four or more devices on a channel.
34. The power management method of claim 30, wherein said assigning is performed by a memory controller that is operably connected to the memory module.
35. The power management method of claim 30 further comprising operating the memory module in lock-step.
36. A power management method comprising:
providing a memory module comprising front and back faces, and multiple devices on each face; and
connecting devices on each of the faces with a control line so that the connected devices commonly contribute multiple bits to a data bus.
37. The power management method of claim 36, wherein the control line alternates between devices on each of the faces.
38. The power management method of claim 36, wherein the control line connects multiple devices on both the front and back face.
39. The power management method of claim 38, wherein at least some of the connected devices on a face are disposed adjacent one another.
40. The power management method of claim 36, comprising four or more devices on a face.
41. The power management method of claim 36, comprising at least eight devices per module.
42. The power management method of claim 36, wherein the devices comprise DRAM devices.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A free piston linear alternator comprising:
a cylinder including a pair of outer chambers, a pair of opposed pistons and a combustion chamber disposed between the opposed pistons, each outer chamber disposed between respective ones of the pistons and a respective outer end of the cylinder;
the pistons axially opposed from each other and independently generating electric current when each of the pistons linearly translate; and
a pair of return members, each return member disposed within a respective one of the outer chambers, each of the return members configured to return respective ones of the pistons to a respective first position from a respective second position after combustion.
2. The free piston linear alternator of claim 1 wherein said combustion occurs in a two stroke cycle and said linear translation of each piston comprises a first stroke of each piston from the respective first position to the respective second position driven by said combustion and a second stroke of each piston from the respective second position to the respective first position.
3. The free piston linear alternator of claim 2 wherein the respective first position corresponds to the corresponding piston in a respective inner dead center position and said respective second position corresponds to the corresponding piston in a respective outer dead center position.
4. The free piston linear alternator of claim 1 wherein each of the pistons is a free piston having a natural resting position comprising the first position when no force is loaded upon the return members.
5. The free piston linear alternator of claim 1 wherein each of the return members store energy via compression when the corresponding piston translates from the respective first position to the respective second position driven by said combustion and utilize the stored energy to force the corresponding piston from the respective second position to the respective first position.
6. The free piston linear alternator of claim 1 wherein each piston includes a respective first element of the linear alternator interacting with a respective second element of the linear alternator located on a wall of the cylinder where translation of each piston between the respective first position and the respective second position generates the electric current.
7. The free piston linear alternator of claim 6 wherein the first elements comprise one of permanent magnets and windings, and the second elements comprise the other one of permanent magnets and the windings.
8. The free piston linear alternator of claim 1 wherein each of the return members is mechanically coupled to one of the corresponding piston and the corresponding outer ends of the cylinder.
9. The free piston linear alternator of claim 1 wherein each of the return members is freely disposed within a corresponding outer chamber.
10. The free piston linear alternator of claim 1 wherein each piston is substantially hollow having a respective plug portion separating the combustion chamber from the respective outer chamber.
11. The free piston linear alternator of claim 1 wherein each outer chamber draws intake air through a respective inlet when the corresponding piston translates from the respective second position to the respective first position, and wherein each outer chamber expels the drawn intake air through a respective outlet when the corresponding piston translates from the respective first position to the respective second position.
12. The free piston linear alternator of claim 11 wherein each piston comprises a respective plurality of fins exposed to the intake air drawn in through each respective inlet of each respective outer chamber.
13. The free piston linear alternator of claim 11 wherein each respective outlet expels the drawn intake air into a common intake manifold.
14. The free piston linear alternator of claim 1 wherein a respective biasing force created by each of the return members and applied to force the pistons from the second position to the first position is controlled to effect a desired compression ratio within the combustion chamber.
15. Method for controlling a free piston linear alternator having a cylinder including a pair of outer chambers, a pair of opposed pistons and a combustion chamber disposed between the opposed pistons, each outer chamber disposed between a respective one of the pair of opposed pistons and a respective outer end of the cylinder, comprising:
subsequent to a combustion event within the combustion chamber, driving each piston outward from a respective inner dead center position to a respective outer dead center position; and
utilizing a respective biasing force provided by respective return members disposed within respective ones of the outer chambers to return each respective piston inward from the respective outer dead center position to the respective inner dead center position in preparation for a subsequent combustion event.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the respective biasing forces are modulated to effect a desired compression ratio within the combustion chamber.
17. The method of claim 15 wherein each of the return members stores energy via compression when the corresponding piston is driven from the respective inner dead center position to the respective outer dead center position and utilizes the stored energy to apply the respective biasing force to return the respective piston from the respective outer dead center position to the respective inner dead center position.
18. The method of claim 15 wherein each piston comprises one of a permanent magnet and a winding interacting with the other one of the permanent magnet and the winding located on a wall of the cylinder where translation of each piston between the respective inner dead center position and the respective outer dead center position generates electric current.
19. The method of claim 15 further comprising:
drawing intake air into each outer chamber when the corresponding piston is returned from the respective outer dead center position to the respective inner dead center position; and
expelling the intake air within each outer chamber into a common intake manifold fluidly coupled to each of the outer chambers and the combustion chamber when the corresponding piston is driven from the respective inner dead center position to the respective outer dead center position.
20. A free piston linear alternator, comprising:
a cylinder having closed opposite ends;
a respective electrical winding surrounding said cylinder adjacent to each opposite end;
a pair of pistons slidably disposed within said cylinder, each piston including a respective permanent magnet;
a respective variable volume outer chamber within said cylinder between each piston and an adjacent one of the closed opposite ends of said cylinder;
a respective return spring corresponding to each piston and urging the respective piston away from the respective opposite end of said cylinder subsequent to a combustion event with the variable volume combustion chamber;
a respective first check valve corresponding to each variable volume outer chamber effective to allow an intake air draw into the respective variable volume outer chamber when the corresponding piston moves away from the respective opposite end;
a respective second check valve corresponding to each variable volume outer chamber effective to allow expulsion of the intake air from within the respective variable volume outer chamber when the corresponding piston moves toward the respective opposite end; and
an inlet to the combustion chamber fluidly coupled to the intake air that is expelled from each variable volume outer chamber.