memtest86+ ECC oddity - EDAC in kernel 2.6.16 (ie FC5)

[Bruno Wolff III]

On Sat, May 06, 2006 at 15:48:14 +1000,
  David Timms <dtimms at bigpond.net.au> wrote:
> Bruno Wolff III wrote:
> >On Fri, May 05, 2006 at 08:13:05 +1000,
> >  David Timms <dtimms at bigpond.net.au> wrote:
> >>I think the error correcting code is at the chipset level (the ECC ram 
> >>just provides the extra storage bit per byte that is needed to implement 
> >>the ECC code). Perhaps what is happening is the chipset detects and 
> >
> >It's more than one bit. One bit only allows you to detect single bit 
> >errors.
> >Typically, ECC memory allows you to correct 1 bit errors and detect 2 bit
> >errors.
> But I'd still contend that ECC memory is only another bit per byte of
> storage (or 9 chips instead of 8), and the memory itself knows not what
> it is being used for.

I responded to your personal copy of the message, but for the group benefit
I will respond here too.

You are right about the amount of memory. For ECC checking the check is
done on 4 or 8 byte groups so that there are multiple extra nits available
for doing single bit correction.

There is more information on parity and ECC memory at:
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/ram/err_Parity.htm