Author Topic: Memory Refresh?  (Read 4564 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Hot_Dog

  • CoT Emeritus
  • LV12 Extreme Poster (Next: 5000)
  • *
  • Posts: 3006
  • Rating: +445/-10
    • View Profile
Memory Refresh?
« on: April 14, 2011, 02:07:07 pm »
I understand what memory refreshing is, but why does memory need to be refreshed?  Is it because memory will sooner or later lose its contents, or is there another reason?

Offline Stefan Bauwens

  • Creator of Myst 89 - סטיבן
  • LV10 31337 u53r (Next: 2000)
  • **********
  • Posts: 1799
  • Rating: +162/-24
  • 68k programmer
    • View Profile
    • Portfolio
Re: Memory Refresh?
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2011, 02:11:19 pm »
I guess it after a time just gets full with stuff.


Very proud Ticalc.org POTY winner (2011 68k) with Myst 89!
Very proud TI-Planet.org DBZ winner(2013)

Interview with me

Offline Runer112

  • Moderator
  • LV11 Super Veteran (Next: 3000)
  • ***********
  • Posts: 2289
  • Rating: +639/-31
    • View Profile
Re: Memory Refresh?
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2011, 04:21:55 pm »
The capacitors that hold the bits of data in RAM don't perfectly hold a charge, so they must periodically be "refreshed." During each refresh, any capacitors that are holding charge are topped up and any capacitors that are not are left empty.

Offline ztrumpet

  • The Rarely Active One
  • CoT Emeritus
  • LV13 Extreme Addict (Next: 9001)
  • *
  • Posts: 5712
  • Rating: +364/-4
  • If you see this, send me a PM. Just for fun.
    • View Profile
Re: Memory Refresh?
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2011, 05:01:46 pm »
When does this Memory Refresh normally happen?

Offline Hot_Dog

  • CoT Emeritus
  • LV12 Extreme Poster (Next: 5000)
  • *
  • Posts: 3006
  • Rating: +445/-10
    • View Profile
Re: Memory Refresh?
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2011, 05:44:17 pm »
When does this Memory Refresh normally happen?

Sometimes after each instruction, other times after a certain number of instructions.  On the z80 processor, it happens about every 64-128 instructions.

Offline willrandship

  • Omnimagus of the Multi-Base.
  • LV11 Super Veteran (Next: 3000)
  • ***********
  • Posts: 2953
  • Rating: +98/-13
  • Insert sugar to begin programming subroutine.
    • View Profile
Re: Memory Refresh?
« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2011, 05:46:48 pm »
I know my homemade memory only needs to be refreshed after 20 minutes or so, but then that's with a 1 uf cap, so it prob. needs it much more in the ICs. Most mem doesn't use caps, tho, that's odd. two transistors work far nicer, for binary anyways.