APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR SENSING HARD BIT AND SOFT BITS

摘要

A method is provided for reading a hard bit and N soft bits of a memory cell of a nonvolatile memory system in response to a single read command in a total time corresponding to a single read latency period and N + 1 data transfer times, the method comprising: generating a sense signal proportional to a current of the memory cell; generating a reference signal that comprises 2N + 1 distinct reference signal values; generating a comparison signal by comparing the sense signal and the reference signal; sampling the comparison signal to generate 2N + 1 data values; and determining the hard bit and the N soft bits based on the 2N + 1 data values.