Hardware interview practice
Interpret SECDED memory errors
A memory uses single-error-correct, double-error-detect ECC. One read reports a correctable event; another reports an uncorrectable event. Which interpretation is valid?
Choose one
Answer choices
- A. The uncorrectable event can always be repaired by flipping the syndrome-indexed bit just like a single-bit error.
- B. The first is consistent with one bad bit and can return corrected data; the second is consistent with two bad bits and must not be silently corrected.
- C. Both events contain exactly one bad bit; the second is uncorrectable only because the address is odd.
- D. The correctable event proves the physical memory is healthy, so no logging or scrubbing is needed.