Serial presence detect

In computing, serial presence detect (SPD) is a standardized way to automatically access information about a memory module. Earlier 72-pin SIMMs included five pins that provided five bits of parallel presence detect (PPD) data, but the 168-pin DIMM standard changed to a serial presence detect to encode more information.^[1]

When an ordinary modern computer is turned on, it starts by doing a power-on self-test (POST). Since about the mid-1990s, this process includes automatically configuring the hardware currently present. SPD is a memory hardware feature that makes it possible for the computer to know what memory is present, and what memory timings to use to access the memory.

Some computers adapt to hardware changes completely automatically. In most cases, there is a special optional procedure for accessing BIOS parameters, to view and potentially make changes in settings. It may be possible to control how the computer uses the memory SPD data—to choose settings, selectively modify memory timings, or possibly to completely override the SPD data (see overclocking).

Stored information

For a memory module to support SPD, the JEDEC standards require that certain parameters be in the lower 128 (or more, depending on the generation) bytes of an EEPROM located on the memory module. These bytes contain timing parameters, manufacturer, serial number and other useful information about the module. Devices utilizing the memory automatically determine key parameters of the module by reading this information. For example, the SPD data on an SDRAM module might provide information about the CAS latency so the system can set this correctly without user intervention.

The SPD EEPROM firmware is accessed using SMBus, a variant of the I²C protocol. This reduces the number of communication pins on the module to just two: a clock signal and a data signal. The EEPROM shares ground pins with the RAM, has its own power pin, and has three additional pins (SA0–2) to identify the slot, which are used to assign the EEPROM a unique address in the range 0x50–0x57. Not only can the communication lines be shared among 8 memory modules, the same SMBus is commonly used on motherboards for system health monitoring tasks such as reading power supply voltages, CPU temperatures, and fan speeds.

Before SPD, memory chips were spotted with parallel presence detect (PPD). PPD used a separate pin for each bit of information, which meant that only the speed and density of the memory module could be stored because of the limited space for pins.

SDR SDRAM

Memory device on an SDRAM module, containing SPD data (red circled)

The first SPD specification was issued by JEDEC and tightened up by Intel as part of its PC100 memory specification introduced in 1998.^[2][3][4] Most values specified are in binary-coded decimal form. The most significant nibble can contain values from 10 to 15, and in some cases extends higher. In such cases, the encodings for 1, 2 and 3 are instead used to encode 16, 17 and 18. A most significant nibble of 0 is reserved to represent "undefined".

The SPD ROM defines up to three DRAM timings, for three CAS latencies specified by set bits in byte 18. First comes the highest CAS latency (fastest clock), then two lower CAS latencies with progressively lower clock speeds.

SPD contents for SDR SDRAM^[5]

Byte		Bit								Notes
(dec.)	(hex.)	7	6	5	4	3	2	1	0
0	0x00	Number of bytes present								Typically 128
1	0x01	log2(size of SPD EEPROM)								Typically 8 (256 bytes)
2	0x02	Basic memory type (4: SPD SDRAM)
3	0x03	Bank 2 row address bits (0–15)				Bank 1 row address bits (1–15)				Bank 2 is 0 if same as bank 1
4	0x04	Bank 2 column address bits (0–15)				Bank 1 column address bits (1–15)				Bank 2 is 0 if same as bank 1
5	0x05	Number of RAM banks on module (1–255)								Commonly 1 or 2
6	0x06	Module data width low byte								Commonly 64, or 72 for ECC DIMMs
7	0x07	Module data width high byte								0, unless width ≥ 256 bits
8	0x08	Interface voltage level of this assembly (not the same as Vcc supply voltage) (0–4)								Decoded by table lookup
9	0x09	Nanoseconds (0–15)				Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				Clock cycle time at highest CAS latency
10	0x0a	Nanoseconds (0–15)				Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				SDRAM access time from clock (tAC)
11	0x0b	DIMM configuration type (0–2): non-ECC, parity, ECC								Table lookup
12	0x0c	Self	Refresh period (0–5): 64, 256, 128, 32, 16, 8 kHz							Refresh requirements
13	0x0d	Bank 2 2×	Bank 1 primary SDRAM width (1–127, usually 8)							Width of bank 1 data SDRAM devices. Bank 2 may be same width, or 2× width if bit 7 is set.
14	0x0e	Bank 2 2×	Bank 1 ECC SDRAM width (0–127)							Width of bank 1 ECC/parity SDRAM devices. Bank 2 may be same width, or 2× width if bit 7 is set.
15	0x0f	Clock delay for random column reads								Typically 1
16	0x10	Page	—	—	—	8	4	2	1	Burst lengths supported (bitmap)
17	0x11	Banks per SDRAM device (1–255)								Typically 2 or 4
18	0x12	—	7	6	5	4	3	2	1	CAS latencies supported (bitmap)
19	0x13	—	6	5	4	3	2	1	0	CS latencies supported (bitmap)
20	0x14	—	6	5	4	3	2	1	0	WE latencies supported (bitmap)
21	0x15	—	Redundant	Diff. clock	Registered data	Buffered data	On-card PLL	Registered addr.	Buffered addr.	Memory module feature bitmap
22	0x16	—	—	Upper Vcc (supply voltage) tolerance	Lower Vcc (supply voltage) tolerance	Write/1 read burst	Precharge all	Auto-precharge	Early RAS precharge	Memory chip feature support bitmap
23	0x17	Nanoseconds (4–18)				Tenths of nanoseconds (0–9: 0.0–0.9)				Clock cycle time at medium CAS latency
24	0x18	Nanoseconds (4–18)				Tenths of nanoseconds (0–9: 0.0–0.9)				Data access time from clock (tAC)
25	0x19	Nanoseconds (1–63)						0.25 ns (0–3: 0.00–0.75)		Clock cycle time at short CAS latency.
26	0x1a	Nanoseconds (1–63)						0.25 ns (0–3: 0.00–0.75)		Data access time from clock (tAC)
27	0x1b	Nanoseconds (1–255)								Minimum row precharge time (tRP)
28	0x1c	Nanoseconds (1–255)								Minimum row active–row active delay (tRRD)
29	0x1d	Nanoseconds (1–255)								Minimum RAS to CAS delay (tRCD)
30	0x1e	Nanoseconds (1–255)								Minimum active to precharge time (tRAS)
31	0x1f	512 MiB	256 MiB	128 MiB	64 MiB	32 MiB	16 MiB	8 MiB	4 MiB	Module bank density (bitmap). Two bits set if different size banks.
32	0x20	Sign (1: −)	Nanoseconds (0–7)			Tenths of nanoseconds (0–9: 0.0–0.9)				Address/command setup time from clock
33	0x21	Sign (1: −)	Nanoseconds (0–7)			Tenths of nanoseconds (0–9: 0.0–0.9)				Address/command hold time after clock
34	0x22	Sign (1: −)	Nanoseconds (0–7)			Tenths of nanoseconds (0–9: 0.0–0.9)				Data input setup time from clock
35	0x23	Sign (1: −)	Nanoseconds (0–7)			Tenths of nanoseconds (0–9: 0.0–0.9)				Data input hold time after clock
36–61	0x24–0x3d	Reserved								For future standardization
62	0x3e	Major revision (0–9)				Minor revision (0–9)				SPD revision level; e.g., 1.2
63	0x3f	Checksum								Sum of bytes 0–62, not then negated
64–71	0x40–47	Manufacturer JEDEC id.								Stored little-endian, trailing zero-padded
72	0x48	Module manufacturing location								Vendor-specific code
73–90	0x49–0x5a	Module part number								ASCII, space-padded
91–92	0x5b–0x5c	Module revision code								Vendor-specific code
93	0x5d	Tens of years (0–9: 0–90)				Years (0–9)				Manufacturing date (YYWW)
94	0x5e	Tens of weeks (0–5: 0–50)				Weeks (0–9)
95–98	0x5f–0x62	Module serial number								Vendor-specific code
99–125	0x63–0x7f	Manufacturer-specific data								Could be enhanced performance profile
126	0x7e	0x66 [sic] for 66 MHz, 0x64 for 100 MHz								Intel frequency support
127	0x7f	CLK0	CLK1	CLK3	CLK3	90/100 °C	CL3	CL2	Concurrent AP	Intel feature bitmap

DDR SDRAM

The DDR DIMM SPD format is an extension of the SDR SDRAM format. Mostly, parameter ranges are rescaled to accommodate higher speeds.

SPD contents for DDR SDRAM^[6]

Byte		Bit								Notes
(dec.)	(hex.)	7	6	5	4	3	2	1	0
0	0x00	Number of bytes written								Typically 128
1	0x01	log2(size of SPD EEPROM)								Typically 8 (256 bytes)
2	0x02	Basic memory type (7 = DDR SDRAM)
3	0x03	Bank 2 row address bits (0–15)				Bank 1 row address bits (1–15)				Bank 2 is 0 if same as bank 1.
4	0x04	Bank 2 column address bits (0–15)				Bank 1 column address bits (1–15)				Bank 2 is 0 if same as bank 1.
5	0x05	Number of RAM banks on module (1–255)								Commonly 1 or 2
6	0x06	Module data width low byte								Commonly 64, or 72 for ECC DIMMs
7	0x07	Module data width high byte								0, unless width ≥ 256 bits
8	0x08	Interface voltage level of this assembly (not the same as Vcc supply voltage) (0–5)								Decoded by table lookup
9	0x09	Nanoseconds (0–15)				Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				Clock cycle time at highest CAS latency.
10	0x0a	Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				Hundredths of nanoseconds (0.00–0.09)				SDRAM access time from clock (tAC)
11	0x0b	DIMM configuration type (0–2): non-ECC, parity, ECC								Table lookup
12	0x0c	Self	Refresh period (0–5): 64, 256, 128, 32, 16, 8 kHz							Refresh requirements
13	0x0d	Bank 2 2×	Bank 1 primary SDRAM width (1–127)							Width of bank 1 data SDRAM devices. Bank 2 may be same width, or 2× width if bit 7 is set.
14	0x0e	Bank 2 2×	Bank 1 ECC SDRAM width (0–127)							Width of bank 1 ECC/parity SDRAM devices. Bank 2 may be same width, or 2× width if bit 7 is set.
15	0x0f	Clock delay for random column reads								Typically 1
16	0x10	Page	—	—	—	8	4	2	1	Burst lengths supported (bitmap)
17	0x11	Banks per SDRAM device (1–255)								Typically 4
18	0x12	—	4	3.5	3	2.5	2	1.5	1	CAS latencies supported (bitmap)
19	0x13	—	6	5	4	3	2	1	0	CS latencies supported (bitmap)
20	0x14	—	6	5	4	3	2	1	0	WE latencies supported (bitmap)
21	0x15	—	x	Diff clock	FET switch external enable	FET switch on-board enable	On-card PLL	Registered	Buffered	Memory module feature bitmap
22	0x16	Fast AP	Concurrent auto precharge	Upper Vcc (supply voltage) tolerance	Lower Vcc (supply voltage) tolerance	—	—	—	Includes weak driver	Memory chip feature bitmap
23	0x17	Nanoseconds (0–15)				Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				Clock cycle time at medium CAS latency.
24	0x18	Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				Hundredths of nanoseconds (0.00–0.09)				Data access time from clock (tAC)
25	0x19	Nanoseconds (0–15)				Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				Clock cycle time at short CAS latency.
26	0x1a	Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				Hundredths of nanoseconds (0.00–0.09)				Data access time from clock (tAC)
27	0x1b	Nanoseconds (1–63)						0.25 ns (0–0.75)		Minimum row precharge time (tRP)
28	0x1c	Nanoseconds (1–63)						0.25 ns (0–0.75)		Minimum row active–row active delay (tRRD)
29	0x1d	Nanoseconds (1–63)						0.25 ns (0–0.75)		Minimum RAS to CAS delay (tRCD)
30	0x1e	Nanoseconds (1–255)								Minimum active to precharge time (tRAS)
31	0x1f	512 MiB	256 MiB	128 MiB	64 MiB	32 MiB	16 MiB/ 4 GiB	8 MiB/ 2 GiB	4 MiB/ 1 GiB	Module bank density (bitmap). Two bits set if different size banks.
32	0x20	Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				Hundredths of nanoseconds (0.00–0.09)				Address/command setup time from clock
33	0x21	Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				Hundredths of nanoseconds (0.00–0.09)				Address/command hold time after clock
34	0x22	Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				Hundredths of nanoseconds (0.00–0.09)				Data input setup time from clock
35	0x23	Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				Hundredths of nanoseconds (0.00–0.09)				Data input hold time after clock
36–40	0x24–0x28	Reserved								Superset information
41	0x29	Nanoseconds (1–255)								Minimum active to active/refresh time (tRC)
42	0x2a	Nanoseconds (1–255)								Minimum refresh to active/refresh time (tRFC)
43	0x2b	Nanoseconds (1–63, or 255: no maximum)						0.25 ns (0–0.75)		Maximum clock cycle time (tCK max.)
44	0x2c	Hundredths of nanoseconds (0.01–2.55)								Maximum skew, DQS to any DQ. (tDQSQ max.)
45	0x2d	Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–1.2)				Hundredths of nanoseconds (0.00–0.09)				Read data hold skew factor (tQHS)
46	0x2e	Reserved								For future standardization
47	0x2f	—						Height		Height of DIMM module, table lookup
48–61	0x30–0x3d	Reserved								For future standardization
62	0x3e	Major revision (0–9)				Minor revision (0–9)				SPD revision level, 0.0 or 1.0
63	0x3f	Checksum								Sum of bytes 0–62, not then negated
64–71	0x40–47	Manufacturer JEDEC id.								Stored little-endian, trailing zero-padded
72	0x48	Module manufacturing location								Vendor-specific code
73–90	0x49–0x5a	Module part number								ASCII, space-padded
91–92	0x5b–0x5c	Module revision code								Vendor-specific code
93	0x5d	Tens of years (0–90)				Years (0–9)				Manufacturing date (YYWW)
94	0x5e	Tens of weeks (0–50)				Weeks (0–9)
95–98	0x5f–0x62	Module serial number								Vendor-specific code
99–127	0x63–0x7f	Manufacturer-specific data								Could be enhanced performance profile

DDR2 SDRAM

The DDR2 SPD standard makes a number of changes, but is roughly similar to the above. One notable deletion is the confusing and little-used support for DIMMs with two ranks of different sizes.

For cycle time fields (bytes 9, 23, 25 and 49), which are encoded in BCD, some additional encodings are defined for the tenths digit to represent some common timings exactly:

DDR2 BCD extensions

Hex	Binary	Significance
A	1010	0.25 (1⁄4)
B	1011	0.33 (1⁄3)
C	1100	0.66 (2⁄3)
D	1101	0.75 (3⁄4)
E	1110	0.875 (7⁄8, Nvidia XMP extension)
F	1111	Reserved

SPD contents for DDR2 SDRAM^[7]

Byte		Bit								Notes
Dec	Hex	7	6	5	4	3	2	1	0
0	0x00	Number of bytes written								Typically 128
1	0x01	log2(size of SPD EEPROM)								Typically 8 (256 bytes)
2	0x02	Basic memory type (8 = DDR2 SDRAM)
3	0x03	Reserved				Row address bits (1–15)
4	0x04	Reserved				Column address bits (1–15)
5	0x05	Vertical height			Stack?	ConC?	Ranks−1 (1–8)			Commonly 0 or 1, meaning 1 or 2
6	0x06	Module data width								Commonly 64, or 72 for ECC DIMMs
7	0x07	Reserved
8	0x08	Interface voltage level of this assembly (not the same as Vcc supply voltage) (0–5)								Decoded by table lookup. Commonly 5 = SSTL 1.8 V
9	0x09	Nanoseconds (0–15)				Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				Clock cycle time at highest CAS latency.
10	0x0a	Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				Hundredths of nanoseconds (0.00–0.09)				SDRAM access time from clock (tAC)
11	0x0b	DIMM configuration type (0–2): non-ECC, parity, ECC								Table lookup
12	0x0c	Self	Refresh period (0–5): 64, 256, 128, 32, 16, 8 kHz							Refresh requirements
13	0x0d	Primary SDRAM width (1–255)								Commonly 8 (module built from ×8 parts) or 16
14	0x0e	ECC SDRAM width (0–255)								Width of bank ECC/parity SDRAM devices. Commonly 0 or 8.
15	0x0f	Reserved
16	0x10	—	—	—	—	8	4	—	—	Burst lengths supported (bitmap)
17	0x11	Banks per SDRAM device (1–255)								Typically 4 or 8
18	0x12	7	6	5	4	3	2	—	—	CAS latencies supported (bitmap)
19	0x13	Reserved
20	0x14	—	—	Mini-UDIMM	Mini-RDIMM	Micro-DIMM	SO-DIMM	UDIMM	RDIMM	DIMM type of this assembly (bitmap)
21	0x15	—	Module is analysis probe	—	FET switch external enable	—	—	—	—	Memory module feature bitmap
22	0x16	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Includes weak driver	Memory chip feature bitmap
23	0x17	Nanoseconds (0–15)				Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				Clock cycle time at medium CAS latency.
24	0x18	Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				Hundredths of nanoseconds (0.00–0.09)				Data access time from clock (tAC)
25	0x19	Nanoseconds (0–15)				Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				Clock cycle time at short CAS latency.
26	0x1a	Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				Hundredths of nanoseconds (0.00–0.09)				Data access time from clock (tAC)
27	0x1b	Nanoseconds (1–63)						1/4 ns (0–0.75)		Minimum row precharge time (tRP)
28	0x1c	Nanoseconds (1–63)						1/4 ns (0–0.75)		Minimum row active–row active delay (tRRD)
29	0x1d	Nanoseconds (1–63)						1/4 ns (0–0.75)		Minimum RAS to CAS delay (tRCD)
30	0x1e	Nanoseconds (1–255)								Minimum active to precharge time (tRAS)
31	0x1f	512 MiB	256 MiB	128 MiB	16 GiB	8 GiB	4 GiB	2 GiB	1 GiB	Size of each rank (bitmap).
32	0x20	Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–1.2)				Hundredths of nanoseconds (0.00–0.09)				Address/command setup time from clock
33	0x21	Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–1.2)				Hundredths of nanoseconds (0.00–0.09)				Address/command hold time after clock
34	0x22	Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				Hundredths of nanoseconds (0.00–0.09)				Data input setup time from strobe
35	0x23	Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				Hundredths of nanoseconds (0.00–0.09)				Data input hold time after strobe
36	0x24	Nanoseconds (1–63)						0.25 ns (0–0.75)		Minimum write recovery time (tWR)
37	0x25	Nanoseconds (1–63)						0.25 ns (0–0.75)		Internal write to read command delay (tWTR)
38	0x26	Nanoseconds (1–63)						0.25 ns (0–0.75)		Internal read to precharge command delay (tRTP)
39	0x27	Reserved								Reserved for "memory analysis probe characteristics"
40	0x28	—	tRC fractional ns (0–5): 0, 0.25, 0.33, 0.5, 0.66, 0.75			tRFC fractional ns (0–5): 0, 0.25, 0.33, 0.5, 0.66, 0.75			tRFC + 256 ns	Extension of bytes 41 and 42.
41	0x29	Nanoseconds (1–255)								Minimum active to active/refresh time (tRC)
42	0x2a	Nanoseconds (1–255)								Minimum refresh to active/refresh time (tRFC)
43	0x2b	Nanoseconds (0–15)				Tenths of nanoseconds (0.0–0.9)				Maximum clock cycle time (tCK max)
44	0x2c	Hundredths of nanoseconds (0.01–2.55)								Maximum skew, DQS to any DQ. (tDQSQ max)
45	0x2d	Hundredths of nanoseconds (0.01–2.55)								Read data hold skew factor (tQHS)
46	0x2e	Microseconds (1–255)								PLL relock time
47–61	0x2f–0x3d	Reserved								For future standardization.
62	0x3e	Major revision (0–9)				Minor revision (0.0–0.9)				SPD revision level, usually 1.0
63	0x3f	Checksum								Sum of bytes 0–62, not negated
64–71	0x40–47	Manufacturer JEDEC ID								Stored little-endian, trailing zero-pad
72	0x48	Module manufacturing location								Vendor-specific code
73–90	0x49–0x5a	Module part number								ASCII, space-padded (limited to (,-,), A–Z, a–z, 0–9, space)
91–92	0x5b–0x5c	Module revision code								Vendor-specific code
93	0x5d	Years since 2000 (0–255)								Manufacturing date (YYWW)
94	0x5e	Weeks (1–52)
95–98	0x5f–0x62	Module serial number								Vendor-specific code
99–127	0x63–0x7f	Manufacturer-specific data								Could be enhanced performance profile

DDR3 SDRAM

The DDR3 SDRAM standard significantly overhauls and simplifies the SPD contents layout. Instead of a number of BCD-encoded nanosecond fields, some "timebase" units are specified to high precision, and various timing parameters are encoded as multiples of that base unit.^[8] Further, the practice of specifying different time values depending on the CAS latency has been dropped; now there are just a single set of timing parameters.

Revision 1.1 lets some parameters be expressed as a "medium time base" value plus a (signed, −128 +127) "fine time base" correction. Generally, the medium time base is 1/8 ns (125 ps), and the fine time base is 1, 2.5 or 5 ps. For compatibility with earlier versions that lack the correction, the medium time base number is usually rounded up and the correction is negative. Values that work this way are:

DDR3 SPD two-part timing parameters

MTB byte	FTB byte	Value
12	34	tCKmin, minimum clock period
16	35	tAAmin, minimum CAS latency time
18	36	tRCDmin, minimum RAS# to CAS# delay
20	37	tRPmin, minimum row precharge delay
21, 23	38	tRCmin, minimum active to active/precharge delay

SPD contents for DDR3 SDRAM^[9][10]

Byte		Bit								Notes
Dec	Hex	7	6	5	4	3	2	1	0
0	0x00	Exclude serial from CRC	SPD bytes total (undef/256)			SPD bytes used (undef/128/176/256)
1	0x01	SPD major revision				SPD minor revision				1.0, 1.1, 1.2 or 1.3
2	0x02	Basic memory type (11 = DDR3 SDRAM)								Type of RAM chips
3	0x03	Reserved				Module type				Type of module; e.g., 2 = Unbuffered DIMM, 3 = SO-DIMM, 11=LRDIMM
4	0x04	—	Bank address bits−3			log2(bits per chip)−28				Zero means 8 banks, 256 Mibit.
5	0x05	—		Row address bits−12			Column address bits−9
6	0x06	Reserved					1.25 V	1.35 V	Not 1.5 V	Modules voltages supported. 1.5 V is default.
7	0x07	—		ranks−1			log2(I/O bits/chip)−2			Module organization
8	0x08	—			ECC bits (001=8)		log2(data bits)−3			0x03 for 64-bit, non-ECC DIMM.
9	0x09	Dividend, picoseconds (1–15)				Divisor, picoseconds (1–15)				Fine Time Base, dividend/divisor
10	0x0a	Dividend, nanoseconds (1–255)								Medium Time Base, dividend/divisor; commonly 1/8
11	0x0b	Divisor, nanoseconds (1–255)
12	0x0c	Minimum cycle time tCKmin								In multiples of MTB
13	0x0d	Reserved
14	0x0e	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	CAS latencies supported (bitmap)
15	0x0f	—	18	17	16	15	14	13	12
16	0x10	Minimum CAS latency time, tAAmin								In multiples of MTB; e.g., 80/8 ns.
17	0x11	Minimum write recovery time, tWRmin								In multiples of MTB; e.g., 120/8 ns.
18	0x12	Minimum RAS to CAS delay time, tRCDmin								In multiples of MTB; e.g., 100/8 ns.
19	0x13	Minimum row to row active delay time, tRRDmin								In multiples of MTB; e.g., 60/8 ns.
20	0x14	Minimum row precharge time, tRPmin								In multiples of MTB; e.g., 100/8 ns.
21	0x15	tRCmin, bits 11:8				tRASmin, bits 11:8				Upper 4 bits of bytes 23 and 22
22	0x16	Minimum active to time, tRASmin, bits 7:0								In multiples of MTB; e.g., 280/8 ns.
23	0x17	Minimum active to active/refresh, tRCmin, bits 7:0								In multiples of MTB; e.g., 396/8 ns.
24	0x18	Minimum refresh recovery delay, tRFCmin, bits 7:0								In multiples of MTB; e.g., 1280/8 ns.
25	0x19	Minimum refresh recovery delay, tRFCmin, bits 15:8
26	0x1a	Minimum internal write to read delay, tWTRmin								In multiples of MTB; e.g., 60/8 ns.
27	0x1b	Minimum internal read to precharge delay, tRTPmin								In multiples of MTB; e.g., 60/8 ns.
28	0x1c	Reserved				tFAWmin, bits 11:8				In multiples of MTB; e.g., 240/8 ns.
29	0x1d	Minimum four activate window delay tFAWmin, bits 7:0
30	0x1e	DLL-off	—					RZQ/7	RZQ/6	SDRAM optional features support bitmap
31	0x1f	PASR	—			ODTS	ASR	ETR 1×	ETR (95 °C)	SDRAM thermal and refresh options
32	0x20	Present	Accuracy (TBD; currently 0 = undefined)							DIMM thermal sensor present?
33	0x21	Nonstd.	Die count			—		Signal load		Nonstandard SDRAM device type (e.g., stacked die)
34	0x22	tCKmin correction (new for 1.1)								Signed multiple of FTB, added to byte 12
35	0x23	tAAmin correction (new for 1.1)								Signed multiple of FTB, added to byte 16
36	0x24	tRCDmin correction (new for 1.1)								Signed multiple of FTB, added to byte 18
37	0x25	tRPmin correction (new for 1.1)								Signed multiple of FTB, added to byte 20
38	0x26	tRCmin correction (new for 1.1)								Signed multiple of FTB, added to byte 23
39–40	0x27–0x28	Reserved								For future standardization.
41	0x29	Vendor specific		tMAW		Maximum Activate Count (MAC) (untested/700k/600k/.../200k/reserved/∞)				For row hammer mitigation
42–59	0x2a–0x3b	Reserved								For future standardization.
60	0x3c	—			Module height, mm (1–31, >45)					Module nominal height
61	0x3d	Back thickness, mm (1–16)				Front thickness, mm (1–16)				Module thickness, value = ceil(mm) − 1
62	0x3e	Design	Revision		JEDEC design number					JEDEC reference design used (11111=none)
63–116	0x3f–0x74	Module-specific section								Differs between registered/unbuffered
117	0x75	Module manufacturer ID, lsbyte								Assigned by JEP-106
118	0x76	Module manufacturer ID, msbyte
119	0x77	Module manufacturing location								Vendor-specific code
120	0x78	Tens of years				Years				Manufacturing year (BCD)
121	0x79	Tens of weeks				Weeks				Manufacturing week (BCD)
122–125	0x7a–0x7d	Module serial number								Vendor-specific code
126–127	0x7e–0x7f	SPD CRC-16								Includes bytes 0–116 or 0–125; see byte 0 bit 7
128–145	0x80–0x91	Module part number								ASCII subset, space-padded
146–147	0x92–0x93	Module revision code								Vendor-defined
148–149	0x94–0x95	DRAM manufacturer ID								As distinct from module manufacturer
150–175	0x96–0xAF	Manufacturer-specific data
176–255	0xB0–0xFF	Available for customer use

The memory capacity of a module can be computed from bytes 4, 7 and 8. The module width (byte 8) divided by the number of bits per chip (byte 7) gives the number of chips per rank. That can then be multiplied by the per-chip capacity (byte 4) and the number of ranks of chips on the module (usually 1 or 2, from byte 7).

DDR4 SDRAM

The DDR4 SDRAM "Annex L" standard for SPD changes the EEPROM module used. Instead of the old AT24C02-compatible 256-byte EEPROMs, JEDEC now defines a new nonstandard EE1004 type with two pages at the SMBus level each with 256 bytes. The new memory still uses the old 0x50–0x57 addresses, but two additional address at 0x36 (SPA0) and 0x37 (SPA1) are now used to receive commands to select the currently-active page for the bus, a form of bank switching.^[11] Internally each logical page is further divided into two physical blocks of 128 bytes each, totaling four blocks and 512 bytes.^[12] Other semantics for "special" address ranges remain the same, although write protection is now addressed by blocks and a high voltage at SA0 is now required to change its status.^[13]

Annex L defines a few different layouts that can be plugged into a 512-byte (of which a maximum of 320 bytes are defined) template, depending on the type of the memory module. The bit definitions are similar to DDR3.^[12]

SPD contents for DDR4 SDRAM^[14]

Byte		Bit								Notes
Dec	Hex	7	6	5	4	3	2	1	0
0	0x00	SPD bytes used
1	0x01	SPD revision n								Typically 0x10, 0x11, 0x12
2	0x02	Basic memory type (12 = DDR4 SDRAM)								Type of RAM chips
3	0x03	Reserved				Module type				Type of module; e.g., 2 = Unbuffered DIMM, 3 = SO-DIMM, 11=LRDIMM
4	0x04	Bank group bits		Bank address bits−2		Total SDRAM capacity per die in megabits				Zero means no bank groups, 4 banks, 256 Mibit.
5	0x05	Reserved		Row address bits−12			Column address bits−9
6	0x06	Primary SDRAM package type	Die count			Reserved		Signal loading
7	0x07	Reserved		Maximum activate window (tMAW)		Maximum activate count (MAC)				SDRAM optional features
8	0x08	Reserved								SDRAM thermal and refresh options
9	0x09	Post package repair (PPR)		Soft PPR	Reserved					Other SDRAM optional features
10	0x0a	SDRAM package type	Die count−1			DRAM density ratio		Signal loading		Secondary SDRAM package type
11	0x0b	Reserved						Endurant flag	Operable flag	Module nominal voltage, VDD
12	0x0c	Reserved	Rank mix	Package ranks per DIMM−1			SDRAM device width			Module organization
13	0x0d	Reserved			Bus width extension		Primary bus width			Module memory bus width in bits
14	0x0e	Thermal sensor	Reserved							Module thermal sensor
15	0x0f	Reserved				Extended base module type
16	0x10	Reserved
17	0x11	Reserved				Medium timebase (MTB)		Fine timebase (FTB)		Measured in ps.
18	0x12	Minimum SDRAM cycle time, tCKAVGmin								In multiples of MTB; e.g., 100/8 ns.
19	0x13	Maximum SDRAM cycle time, tCKAVGmax								In multiples of MTB; e.g., 60/8 ns.
20	0x14	14	13	12	11	10	9	8	7	CAS latencies supported bit-mask
21	0x15	22	21	20	19	18	17	16	15	CAS latencies supported bit-mask
22	0x16	30	29	28	27	26	25	24	23	CAS latencies supported bit-mask
23	0x17	Low CL range	Reserved	36	35	34	33	32	31	CAS latencies supported bit-mask
24	0x18	Minimum CAS latency time, tAAmin								In multiples of MTB; e.g., 1280/8 ns.
25	0x19	Minimum RAS to CAS delay time, tRCDmin								In multiples of MTB; e.g., 60/8 ns.
26	0x1a	Minimum row precharge delay time, tRPmin								In multiples of MTB; e.g., 60/8 ns.
27	0x1b	Upper nibbles for tRASmin and tRCmin
28	0x1c	Minimum active to precharge delay time, tRASmin least significant byte								In multiples of MTB
29	0x1d	Minimum active to active/refresh delay time, tRCmin least significant byte								In multiples of MTB
30	0x1e	Minimum refresh recovery delay time, tRFC1min least significant byte								In multiples of MTB
31	0x1f	Minimum refresh recovery delay time, tRFC1min most significant byte								In multiples of MTB
32	0x20	Minimum refresh recovery delay time, tRFC2min least significant byte								In multiples of MTB
33	0x21	Minimum refresh recovery delay time, tRFC2min most significant byte								In multiples of MTB
34	0x22	Minimum refresh recovery delay time, tRFC4min least significant byte								In multiples of MTB
35	0x23	Minimum refresh recovery delay time, tRFC4min most significant byte								In multiples of MTB
36	0x24	Reserved				tFAWmin most significant nibble
37	0x25	Minimum four activate window delay time, tFAWmin least significant byte								In multiples of MTB
38	0x26	Minimum activate to activate delay time, tRRD_Smin, different bank group								In multiples of MTB
39	0x27	Minimum activate to activate delay time, tRRD_Lmin, same bank group								In multiples of MTB
40	0x28	Minimum CAS to CAS delay time, tCCD_Lmin, same bank group								In multiples of MTB
41	0x29	Upper nibble for tWRmin
42	0x2a	Minimum write recovery time, tWRmin								In multiples of MTB
43	0x2b	Upper nibbles for tWTRmin
44	0x2c	Minimum write to read time, tWTR_Smin, different bank group								In multiples of MTB
45	0x2d	Minimum write to read time, tWTR_Lmin, same bank group								In multiples of MTB
49–59	0x2e–0x3b	Reserved								Base configuration section
60–77	0x3c–0x4d	Connector to SDRAM bit mapping
78–116	0x4e–0x74	Reserved								Base configuration section
117	0x75	Fine offset for minimum CAS to CAS delay time, tCCD_Lmin, same bank								Two's complement multiplier for FTB units
118	0x76	Fine offset for minimum activate to activate delay time, tRRD_Lmin, same bank group								Two's complement multiplier for FTB units
119	0x77	Fine offset for minimum activate to activate delay time, tRRD_Smin, different bank group								Two's complement multiplier for FTB units
120	0x78	Fine offset for minimum active to active/refresh delay time, tRCmin								Two's complement multiplier for FTB units
121	0x79	Fine offset for minimum row precharge delay time, tRPmin								Two's complement multiplier for FTB units
122	0x7a	Fine offset for minimum RAS to CAS delay time, tRCDmin								Two's complement multiplier for FTB units
123	0x7b	Fine offset for minimum CAS latency time, tAAmin								Two's complement multiplier for FTB units
124	0x7c	Fine offset for SDRAM maximum cycle time, tCKAVGmax								Two's complement multiplier for FTB units
125	0x7d	Fine offset for SDRAM minimum cycle time, tCKAVGmin								Two's complement multiplier for FTB units
126	0x7e	Cyclic rendundancy code (CRC) for base config section, least significant byte								CRC16 algorithm
127	0x7f	Cyclic rendundancy code (CRC) for base config section, most significant byte								CRC16 algorithm
128–191	0x80–0xbf	Module-specific section								Dependent upon memory module family (UDIMM, RDIMM, LRDIMM)
192–255	0xc0–0xff	Hybrid memory architecture specific parameters
256–319	0x100–0x13f	Extended function parameter block
320–321	0x140–0x141	Module manufacturer								See JEP-106
322	0x142	Module manufacturing location								Manufacturer-defined manufacturing location code
323	0x143	Module manufacturing year								Represented in Binary Coded Decimal (BCD)
324	0x144	Module manufacturing week								Represented in Binary Coded Decimal (BCD)
325–328	0x145–0x148	Module serial number								Manufacturer-defined format for a unique serial number across part numbers
329–348	0x149–0x15c	Module part number								ASCII part number, unused digits should be set to 0x20
349	0x15d	Module revision code								Manufacturer-defined revision code
350–351	0x15e–0x15f	DRAM manufacturer ID code								See JEP-106
352	0x160	DRAM stepping								Manufacturer-defined stepping or 0xFF if not used
353–381	0x161–0x17d	Manufacturer's specific data
382–383	0x17e–0x17f	Reserved

DDR5 SDRAM

Preliminary table for DDR5, based on JESD400-5 specification.^[15]

DDR5 expands the SPD table to 1024-byte. SPD of DDR5 is using the I3C bus.

SPD contents for DDR5 SDRAM

Byte		Bit								Notes
Dec	Hex	7	6	5	4	3	2	1	0
0	0x00	Number of bytes in SPD device
1	0x01	SPD revision for base configuration parameters
2	0x02	Key byte / host bus command protocol type
3	0x03	Key byte / module type
4	0x04	First SDRAM density and package
5	0x05	First SDRAM addressing
6	0x06	First SDRAM I/O width
7	0x07	First SDRAM bank groups & banks per bank group
8	0x08	Second SDRAM density and package
9	0x09	Second SDRAM addressing
10	0x0a	Second SDRAM I/O width
11	0x0b	Second SDRAM bank groups & banks per bank group
12	0x0c	SDRAM optional features
13	0x0d	Thermal and refresh options
14	0x0e	Reserved
15	0x0f	Reserved
16	0x10	SDRAM nominal voltage, VDD

EEPROM chip

There are three main generations of EEPROMs as described in JEDEC standards: the 256-byte EE1002 for DDR3 and earlier, the 512-byte EE1004 for DDR4, and the 1024-byte "hub" SPD1558 for DDR5. The EE1002 is the bog-standard 24-series EEPROM. The EE1004 is the newer 34-series EEPROM and differs mainly in having a "page switch" command to allow access to its full content (among other differences). The SPD1558 is very different.

There are also thermal sensor versions of EE1002 and EE1004 but they speak the same protocol for their SPD part.

Addressing

As mentioned above SPD uses three pins for addressing up to 8 separate modules from 0 to 7. This is only correct for EE1002 and EE1004; SPD1558 uses a single pin with grounding resistors to specify the module's identity from 0 to 7.^{[16]: §2.7}

For EE1002 and EE1004 the I²C address range is 0x50–0x57. They also use respond to 0x30–0x37 if they have not been write protected (see below). If they have an associated thermal sensor, they use 0x18–0x1F. All those values are seven-bit I²C addresses formed by a Device Type Identifier Code prefix (DTIC) with SA0-2: to read (1100) from slot 3, one uses 110 0011 = 0x33. With a final R/W bit it forms the 8-bit Device Select Code.^[17]

The 5118 contains many devices. The hub itself lies at 0x50–0x57, as before. The local devices are addressed through the hub using I³C.^{[16]: §2.7}

Write protection

The EE1002 has three layers of write protection. The hardware layer is in the form of a WC# pin; when driven low, it prevents all writes. The software layer is in the form of a few commands. Changing software write protect requires driving V_HV (instead of the regular 0 or 1 logic voltages) on the address pin SA0 with specific combinations for the other SA pins. As a result there is no differentaion of slot-id.^[18] The final layer is the "permanent" layer, a command that can be sent to render the first 128 bytes permanently unchangable.^[19]

The EE1004 has no WC# pin or a "permanent" layer. It has four commands to separately set the write-protect status of each 64-byte slice of the device (using different ) and one to clear them all at once. These commands all require driving V_HV like before.^[20]

The SPD5118 has two modes of protection. In the normal operating mode with the address pin connected to GND via a resistor, protection can only be added to 64-byte slices, not removed. In the "tester" mode with the address pin connected to GND directly however, these bits can be freely removed.^{[16]: §2.7}

Extensions

The JEDEC standard only specifies some of the SPD bytes. The truly critical data (for up to DDR3) fits into the first 64 bytes,^{[6][7][21][22][23]} while some of the remainder is earmarked for manufacturer identification. However, a 256-byte EEPROM is standardized (for up to DDR3). A number of uses have been made of the remaining space.

Memory generally comes with conservative timing recommendations in the SPD ROM, to ensure basic functionality on all systems. Enthusiasts often spend considerable time manually adjusting the memory timings for higher speed. Enabling special configurations such as Intel XMP or AMD EXPO often requires additional testing to ensure system stability^[24] and may void CPU warranty if used out of the manufacturer’s published specifications.^[25][26][27]

Enhanced Performance Profiles (EPP)

Enhanced Performance Profiles is an extension of SPD, developed by Nvidia and Corsair, which includes additional information for higher-performance operation of DDR2 SDRAM, including supply voltages and command timing information not included in the JEDEC SPD spec. The EPP information is stored in the same EEPROM, but in bytes 99–127, which are unused by standard DDR2 SPD.^[28]

EPP SPD ROM usage

Bytes	Size	Full profiles	Abbreviated profiles
99–103	5	EPP header
104–109	6	Profile FP1	Profile AP1
110–115	6		Profile AP2
116–121	6	Profile FP2	Profile AP3
122–127	6		Profile AP4

The parameters are particularly designed to fit the memory controller on the nForce 5, nForce 6 and nForce 7 chipsets. Nvidia encourages support for EPP in the BIOS for its high-end motherboard chipsets. This is intended to provide "one-click overclocking" to get better performance with minimal effort.

Nvidia's name for EPP memory that has been qualified for performance and stability is "SLI-ready memory".^[29] The term "SLI-ready-memory" has caused some confusion, as it has nothing to do with SLI video. One can use EPP/SLI memory with a single video card (even a non-Nvidia card), and one can run a multi-card SLI video setup without EPP/SLI memory.

An extended version, EPP 2.0, supports DDR3 memory as well.^[30]

Intel Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)

"Intel XMP" redirects here; not to be confused with Intel MPX.

A similar, Intel-developed JEDEC SPD extension was developed for DDR3 SDRAM DIMMs, later used in DDR4 and DDR5 SDRAM as well. XMP uses bytes 176–255, which are unallocated by JEDEC, to encode higher-performance memory timings.^[31]

Later, AMD developed AMP, an equivalent technology to XMP, for use in its "Radeon Memory" line of memory modules optimized for use in AMD platforms.^[32][33] Furthermore, motherboard developers implemented their own technologies to allow their AMD-based motherboards to read XMP profiles: MSI offers A-XMP,^[34] ASUS has DOCP (Direct Over Clock Profile), and Gigabyte has EOCP (Extended Over Clock Profile).^[35]

DDR3 XMP

XMP SPD ROM usage^[36]

DDR3 Bytes	Size	Use
176–184	9	XMP header
185–219	35	XMP profile 1 ("enthusiast" settings)
220–254	35	XMP profile 2 ("extreme" settings)

The header contains the following data. Most importantly, it contains a "medium timebase" value MTB, as a rational number of nanoseconds (common values are 1/8, 1/12 and 1/16 ns). Many other later timing values are expressed as an integer number of MTB units.

Also included in the header is the number of DIMMs per memory channel that the profile is designed to support; including more DIMMs may not work well.

XMP Header bytes^[36]

DDR3 Byte	Bits	Use
176	7:0	XMP magic number byte 1 0x0C
177	7:0	XMP magic number byte 2 0x4A
178	0	Profile 1 enabled (if 0, disabled)
	1	Profile 2 enabled
	3:2	Profile 1 DIMMs per channel (1–4 encoded as 0–3)
	5:4	Profile 2 DIMMs per channel
	7:6	Reserved
179	3:0	XMP minor version number (x.0 or x.1)
	7:4	XMP major version number (0.x or 1.x)
180	7:0	Medium timebase dividend for profile 1
181	7:0	Medium timebase divisor for profile 1 (MTB = dividend/divisor ns)
182	7:0	Medium timebase dividend for profile 2 (e.g. 8)
183	7:0	Medium timebase divisor for profile 2 (e.g. 1, giving MTB = 1/8 ns)
184	7:0	Reserved

XMP profile bytes^[36]

DDR3 Byte 1	DDR3 Byte 2	Bits	Use
185	220	0	Module Vdd voltage twentieths (0.00 or 0.05)
		4:1	Module Vdd voltage tenths (0.0–0.9)
		6:5	Module Vdd voltage units (0–2)
		7	Reserved
186	221	7:0	Minimum SDRAM clock period tCKmin (MTB units)
187	222	7:0	Minimum CAS latency time tAAmin (MTB units)
188	223	7:0	CAS latencies supported (bitmap, 4–11 encoded as bits 0–7)
189	224	6:0	CAS latencies supported (bitmap, 12–18 encoded as bits 0–6)
		7	Reserved
190	225	7:0	Minimum CAS write latency time tCWLmin (MTB units)
191	226	7:0	Minimum row precharge delay time tRPmin (MTB units)
192	227	7:0	Minimum RAS to CAS delay time tRCDmin (MTB units)
193	228	7:0	Minimum write recovery time tWRmin (MTB units)
194	229	3:0	tRASmin upper nibble (bits 11:8)
		7:4	tRCmin upper nibble (bits 11:8)
195	230	7:0	Minimum active to precharge delay time tRASmin bits 7:0 (MTB units)
196	231	7:0	Minimum active to active/refresh delay time tRCmin bits 7:0 (MTB units)
197	232	7:0	Maximum average refresh interval tREFI lsbyte (MTB units)
198	233	7:0	Maximum average refresh interval tREFI msbyte (MTB units)
199	234	7:0	Minimum refresh recovery delay time tRFCmin lsbyte (MTB units)
200	235	7:0	Minimum refresh recovery delay time tRFCmin msbyte (MTB units)
201	236	7:0	Minimum internal read to precharge command delay time tRTPmin (MTB units)
202	237	7:0	Minimum row active to row active delay time tRRDmin (MTB units)
203	238	3:0	tFAWmin upper nibble (bits 11:8)
		7:4	Reserved
204	239	7:0	Minimum four activate window delay time tFAWmin bits 7:0 (MTB units)
205	240	7:0	Minimum internal write to read command delay time tWTRmin (MTB units)
206	241	2:0	Write to read command turnaround time adjustment (0–7 clock cycles)
		3	Write to read command turnaround adjustment sign (0=pull-in, 1=push-out)
		6:4	Read to write command turnaround time adjustment (0–7 clock cycles)
		7	Read to write command turnaround adjustment sign (0=pull-in, 1=push-out)
207	242	2:0	Back-to-back command turnaround time adjustment (0–7 clock cycles)
		3	Back-to-back turnaround adjustment sign (0=pull-in, 1=push-out)
		7:4	Reserved
208	243	7:0	System CMD rate mode. 0=JTAG default, otherwise in peculiar units of MTB × tCK/ns. E.g. if MTB is 1/8 ns, then this is in units of 1/8 clock cycle.
209	244	7:0	SDRAM auto self refresh performance. Standard version 1.1 says documentation is TBD.
210–218	245–253	7:0	Reserved
219	254	7:0	Reserved, vendor-specific personality code.

Newer versions

DDR4 specs are not yet publicly available.

AMD Extended Profiles for Overclocking (EXPO)

AMD's Extended Profiles for Overclocking (EXPO) is a JEDEC SPD extension developed for DDR5 DIMMs to apply a one-click automatic overclocking profile to system memory.^[37][38] AMD EXPO-certified DIMMs include optimised timings certified to work on Zen 4 processors.^[39] Unlike Intel's closed standard XMP, the EXPO standard is open and royalty-free.^[38] It can be used on Intel platforms.^[38] At launch in September 2022, there are 15 partner RAM kits with EXPO-certification available reaching up to 6400 MT/s.^[40]

Vendor-specific memory

A common misuse is to write information to certain memory regions to bind vendor-specific memory modules to a specific system. Fujitsu Technology Solutions is known to do this. Adding different memory module to the system usually results in a refusal or other counter-measures (like pressing F1 on every boot).

02 0E 00 01-00 00 00 EF-02 03 19 4D-BC 47 C3 46 ...........M.G.F
53 43 00 04-EF 4F 8D 1F-00 01 70 00-01 03 C1 CF SC...O....p.....

This is the output of a 512 MB memory module from Micron Technologies, branded for Fujitsu-Siemens Computers, note the "FSC" (46 53 43) string. The system BIOS rejects memory modules that don't have this information starting at offset 128h.

Some Packard Bell AMD laptops also use this method, in this case the symptoms can vary but it can lead to a flashing cursor rather than a beep pattern. Incidentally this can also be a symptom of BIOS corruption as well.^[41] Though upgrading a 2 GB to a 4 GB can also lead to issues.

Reading and writing SPD information

Memory module manufacturers write the SPD information to the EEPROM on the module. Motherboard BIOSes read the SPD information to configure the memory controller.

Onboard SMBus

The motherboard SMBus controller is the "raw" way of accessing SPD on a memory module attached to it. Some motherboard chipsets allow selecting whether the SPD should be write protected. To allow access this way, the operating system must include SMBus support, have appropriate drivers for the EEPROMs, and the motherboard SMBus needs to be connected to the SPD EEPROMs.

• (R) On Linux and FreeBSD, the userspace program decode-dimms provided by i2c-tools decodes and prints JEDEC standard information on any memory with SPD information in the computer. For pre-DDR4 SPD it requires either the "eeprom" or the "at24" driver (24-series EEPROM). For DDR4 SPD it requires either the "eeprom" driver or the "ee1004" driver (34-series EEPROMs defined in JEDEC EE1004).^[42][43] On older Linux distributions, decode-dimms.pl was available as part of lm_sensors.
  • (W) The eeprog tool from i2c-tools allows writing to 24-series EEPROMs, i.e. up to DDR3.
• (RW) On Linux and FreeBSD, the Python script spd-eeprom reads and writes AT24 and EE1004-series EEPROMs. It only provides raw SMBus reading and writing, not decoding. Driver requirements are the same as i2c-tools.^[44]
• (R) On OpenBSD 4.3+ and NetBSD 5.0+, the spdmem(4) driver accesses the EEPROM through the SMBus to provide information about memory modules (only the JEDEC standard part).
• (R) Coreboot reads and uses SPD information to initialize all memory controllers in a computer with timing, size and other properties. Coreboot is intended to act as a computer's firmware, replacing a BIOS (or UEFI-enabled BIOS).
• (R) HWiNFO, CPU-Z and Speccy are Microsoft Windows programs that read and display SPD information, including XMP and other extensions.^[45]
• (RW) Thaiphoon Burner (abandonware) is a Windows program that allows reading from and writing to SPD from memory modules up to DDR4 (including XMP). SPDtool is another piece of abandonware of similar purpose.

Other SMBus features

Temperature sensor

JEDEC has standards for SMBus-addressable temperature sensors on memory strips. TS3000 is for the independent sensor for up to DDR3. TSE2002 is the combined SPD and temperature sensor for up to DDR3. TSE2004 is the combined SPD and temperature sensor for DDR4. SPD5118 is the "hub" that integrates temperature and SPD on DDR5.

RGB LED control

Some memory modules (especially on Gaming PCs)^[46] support RGB LEDs that are controlled by proprietary SMBus commands. This allows LED color control without additional connectors and cables. Windows kernel drivers from multiple manufacturers required to control the lights have been exploited to gain access ranging from full kernel memory access, to MSR and I/O port control numerous times in 2020 alone.^[47][48][49]

SMBIOS

The SMBIOS relays data about the memory from the BIOS to the computer. This information is accessed by the dmidecode program, which runs on Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, BeOS, Cygwin and Solaris. Again, it accesses not the SPD information, but SMBIOS information, so data may be limited or incorrect.^[50]

Ex situ SMBus

By removing the EEPROM chip and transplanting it somewhere else, one can obtain a more direct SMBus access. This helps remove the interference from chipsets.

Laptops and webcams

A not so common use for old laptops is as generic SMBus readers, as the internal EEPROM on the module can be disabled once the BIOS has read it so the bus is essentially available for use. The method used is to pull low the A0,A1 lines so the internal memory shuts down, allowing the external device to access the SMBus. Once this is done, a custom Linux build or DOS application can then access the external device. A common use is recovering data from LCD panel memory chips to retrofit a generic panel into a proprietary laptop.

A related technique is rewriting the chip on webcams often included with many laptops, as the bus speed is substantially higher. They can even be modified so that 25-series chips, commonly used in storing a motherboard's UEFI ROM, can be read and written for protection against chip failure.

On some chips it is also a good idea to separate write protect lines so that the onboard chips do not get wiped during reprogramming.

Chip generation issues

This unfortunately only works on DDR3 and below, as DDR4 uses a different chip model (34-series) to fit the 512-byte SPD (as opposed to the 256-byte of earlier generations). This chip interface (EE1004/TSE2004) divides its storage into two pages and requires a page-switch to read or write the whole chip.

Some chipsets also do not correctly negotiate the reading of 34-series EEPROM chips so they may even fail to read. The software may return a "Incompatible SMBus driver?" message in response.

DDR5 uses an even more complex design, the SPD5118 "hub" with another doubling of capacity.

On older equipment

Some older equipment require the use of SIMMs with parallel presence detect (more commonly called simply presence detect or PD). Some of this equipment uses non-standard PD coding, IBM computers and Hewlett-Packard LaserJet and other printers in particular.

See also

• Transducer electronic data sheet