> What I understand is that the ARC chipset supports a secondary cache
> similar to the way it does for the 486. It is not necessary to use
> the cache support signals from the R4k to have a secondary cache, although
> it may mean that this cache will take two cycles to access data where
> the R4000SC cache would take one. This may not be great, but it is still
> better than the cycles required to get data from DRAM.
I really wonder from where the information comes that ARCset supports
any kind of 2nd level cache in its *true* sense.
I had a closer look the uPD31432 (Adress Path Controller) data sheet.
Quoted (Page 58,59):
5.1 Memory Interface Signal SUmmary
Signal Name Description
MADR[10:0] Multiplexed row and column adress lines.
Shared with video interface.
/MRAS[3:0] Early Memory Row Adress Strobe. [...]
/MEM_CAS[A:D] Four identical copies of early memory
Column Adress Strobes. [...]
/MWR_CMD Memory Write Command.
MEM_DATA_OE The uPD31431 memory data lines output enables.
MEM_DATA_LE [...] Data latch enables [...]
/B_MASK Time multiplexed byte mask lines. Used during
memory and video partial write operations
originating at Vr4000. Also used for I/O operations.
BM_PHASE Signal to provide the phase information required
to demultiplex the B_MASK line. [...]
5.2 uPD31432 Video Interface Signal Summary
Signal Name Description
VIDEO_CMD[2:0] Video command bus - Identifies the current
command being sent to the video interface.
[...]
VIDEO_ADR10 Video adress bit 10 is used with MADR[10:0] to
provide a time multiplexed 20bit adress to the
video interface.
VIDEO_RDY Video ready is used by the video controller to
inform the uPD31432 chip that is has completed
the requested operation.
5.3 Memory System Transfers
Memory Operation Description
32 byte read Vr4000 32 byte cache block fill. [...]
I/O cache fill operation.
16 byte read Vr4000 16 byte cache block fill. [...]
32 byte write Vr4000 32 byte cache block flush. [...]
I/O full cache line flush
16 byte write Vr4000 16 byte cache block flush. [...]
Read modify write Vr4000 write partial [...]
I/O partial cache line flush
Memory Refresh Refresh timing set in Refresh Rate Register
[end of qouted material]
Please note those I/O cache operations. These are operations are
I/O caching, what means that 32byte-blocks of data to be transfered
from or to I/O is cached in main memory.
This has ***nothing*** to do with 2nd level cache.
Next thing: The memory interface is a *true* DRAM interface.
Again, quoted from the data sheet. Here's the complete pinout:
[Page 147ff]
Signal Name I/Otype Description
R4000_DAL[32:00] I/O Vr4000 mux'ed data/adress lines
R4000_CMD[8:0] I/O Vr4000 system interface command bus.
R4000_CMDP I/O Single bit even parity for command bus.
/R4000_EXTRQST OUT This is the external request line to
the Vr4000 processor. [...]
/R4000_RELEASE IN Vr4000 release indicates that Vr4000
has released the bus.
/R4000_RDY OUT Asserted by uPD31432 when ready to
accept a R4000 command.
/R4000_VALID_IN OUT The uPD31432 asserts this signal when
driving a command or data on the
Vr4000 interface.
/R4000_VALID_OUT IN The Vr4000 asserts this signal when
driving a command or data on the
Vr4000 interface.
R4000_RCLOCK IN 50 MHz receive clock
R4000_TCLOCK IN 50 MHz transmit clock
/B_MASK[7:0] OUT Contains the byte mask information
used during write partials [...]
BM_PHASE OUT Used to demultiplex /B_MASK[7:0]
CACHE_OP[2:0] OUT uPD31432 control bus used to control
the I/O cache.
BLK_NUM[2:0] OUT I/O Cache block number selects one of
eight cache blocks for current operation.
C_LINE OUT The cache line selects the 128 bit cache
line in the cache block selected by
BLK_NUM.
DMA_BANK_SEL OUT The DMA bank select is used to select
a 64bit quantity from the selected
cache line.
C_LTCH_EN OUT The cache latch enable is used as the
latch enable for the selected cache data.
R4000_DP_OD[1:0] OUT The R4000_DAL output enable is used to
turn off the the Vr4000 system bus drivers.
IO_OP[2:0] OUT These lines contain encoded control
information from the uPD31432 to configure
the uPD31431 chips during 386 bus operations.
/INTR1 IN Vr4000 interrupt level 1
/INTR2 IN Vr4000 interrupt level 2
/INTR3 IN Vr4000 interrupt level 3
/INTR5 IN Vr4000 interrupt level 5
/MCT_INTR OUT I/O DMA channel interrupt
/TIMER_INTR OUT Interval Timer Interrupt
TIMER_CLK IN Interval Timer base clock
BANK_SEL OUT This signal is used to select a 64 bit bank
out of the 128bit memory line to drive on
the R4000_DAL.
WMEM_STATE[2:0] OUT uPD31431 Vr4000 write buffer control bus.
PAR_ERR[1:0] IN Memory parity error lines from each of the
two datapath chips.
/MRAS[3:0] OUT Main memory row adress strobe lines
/MWR_CMD OUT Main memory read/write control line.
/MEM_CAS[A:D] OUT Four copies of the same main memory
DRAM column adress strobe.
MEM_DATA_OE OUT The uPD31431 memory data output enable
MEM_DATA_LE OUT Memory data latch enable controls the
uPD31431 memory data latches. [...]
MADR[10:0] OUT Memory adress lines are multiplexed
system memory DRAM row and column address
lines.
VID_ADR10 OUT Video address bit 10, used with MADR[10:0]
to from complete video address bus.
VIDEO_CLK OUT 25 MHz output signal used to drive the
video interface
VIDEO_CMD[2:0] OUT Video command is used to encode the video
interface control bus.
VIDEO_RDY IN Video ready is used by the video system to
respond to a uPD31432 video command.
CLK386 OUT 25 MHz (1/2 R4000_TCLOCK) clock used as
the 386 bus clock.
H386_ADR[23:02] I/O I/O adress bus. It is also used to source
a 3 bit encoded DMA acknowledge packet
during local DMA operations [...]
/H386_ADS I/O I/O bus address strobe.
/H386_BE[3:0] I/O I/O bus byte enables.
/H386_M_IO OUT I/O bus control signal; used to select
between 386 I/O bus I/O or memory space.
/H386_RDY I/O I/O bus slave ready signal. [...]
/H386_BUS_ERROR OUT I/O bus error signal. [...]
/H386_W_R I/O I/O bus read and write line. [...]
/H386D_C OUT I/O bus command line. Selects between
normal data cycles and command cycles.
Used only to perform a 386 compatible
interrupt acknowledge signal.
ADR[1:0] OUT The signals provide the low two addresses
used by local I/O devices.
DMA_REQ[7:0] IN These DMA request lines are used by the
local DMA devices to signal the availability
to accept or deliver data.
LDMA_TC OUT Local DMA terminal count is used to signal
the acknowledged DMA operation has reached
its terminal count. [...]
/DMA_ACK_CNT OUT This signal is used to control the assertion
of the local device DMA line selected with
H386_ADR[4:2]
/LOCALIO OUT Local I/O is used to control the assertion
of the local device chip select selected
with H386_ADR[23:20]
/SLAVE_RD OUT Local device read strobe.
/SLAVE_WR OUT Local device write strobe.
L_HLDA OUT LAN hold acknowledge. Used by the address
chip to grant a requesting local bus master
the remote bus.
L_HOLD IN The LAN; used by a remote bus master to
request control of the remote bus.
EISA_BCLK IN EISA bus clock; received by the address chip
to synchronize EISA control lines and
operations.
E_HLDA OUT EISA hold acknowledge; used to grant the
EISA chip set to take control of the remote
I/O bus.
E_HOLD IN The EISA hold is used by the EISA chipsets
to request control of the remote I/O bus.
HGT16M IN EISA address greater than 16MBytes. [...]
/REFRESH IN EISA refresh signal. [...]
/IO_BUS_REQ OUT I/O bus request. [...]
/EISA_CMD IN EISA command line. [...]
/EISA_EXRDY OUT EISA ready signal. [...]
/EISA_HLOCMEM OUT Driven when an EISA transfer into system
memory is recognized. [...]
EIS_MBURST IN EISA master burst. [...]
EISA_START IN EISA start. [...]
/RESET IN Chip reset signal.
TEST IN Chip test signal.
/MACHCHK OUT Machine check interrupt is used to signal
a catastrophic system error.
[end of qouted material]
Next, we have a look at the data path controller, uPD31431.
The data sheet tells us that this chip contains the I/O cache buffers
mentioned earlier.
qouted from the spec sheet, page 7:
3.4 I/O cache buffers
The I/O cache buffers provide the data storage for eight 128bit bidirectional
data buffers. The cache buffer has a 32bit read/write portto the I/O remote
bus and provide a 64bit bidirectional port to the memory data lines. [...]
[end of quoted material]
I hope it's clear now that this chip set *DOES NOT* support 2nd level
cache. What it does is providing a cache subsystem for I/O operations
which is a good idea, but has nothing to do with 2nd level cache.
Andy
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