Design considerations for a hardware-refreshed memory card for the MC68000

Circuit complexity is the main disadvantage of using hardware rather than software to refresh dynamic RAM. Program overheads, withdrawal of interrupts from use, and increased demands on system components other than the microprocessor militate against the software solution. A hardware-refreshed 256 kbyte dynamic RAM card has been developed for use with 68000-based systems. The design includes a TMS 4500AML controller and a TMS 4164 64k dynamic RAM. The operation of the dynamic RAM is explained. The RAM is interfaced to the 68000 by the system's VME bus. The organization of the memory is discussed, and the steps in a software routine to test blocks of memory are outlined.