Methods and apparatus for providing simultaneous software/hardware cache fill
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method, comprising:
- providing a hardware implemented cache refill circuit for managing at least one address translation table cache, the at least one address translation table cache containing data used to translate an external address into a physical address of a processing system;
providing a software implemented cache refill function operable to pre-load the at least one address translation table cache prior to a cache miss;
permitting application software, running on the processing system, to call operating system software of the processing system to;
(i) control the hardware implemented cache refill circuit and the software implemented cache refill function to operate simultaneously in managing the at least one address translation table cache; and
(ii) determine which of the hardware implemented cache refill circuit or the software implemented cache refill function is to operate, and which is not to operate, in managing the at least one address translation table cache.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus provide a hardware implemented cache refill circuit for managing at least one address translation table cache, the at least one address translation table cache containing data used to translate an external address into a physical address of a processing system; provide a software implemented cache refill function also for managing the at least one address translation table cache; and simultaneously refill the at least one address translation table cache using the hardware implemented cache refill circuit and the software implemented cache refill function.
42 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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providing a hardware implemented cache refill circuit for managing at least one address translation table cache, the at least one address translation table cache containing data used to translate an external address into a physical address of a processing system; providing a software implemented cache refill function operable to pre-load the at least one address translation table cache prior to a cache miss; permitting application software, running on the processing system, to call operating system software of the processing system to;
(i) control the hardware implemented cache refill circuit and the software implemented cache refill function to operate simultaneously in managing the at least one address translation table cache; and
(ii) determine which of the hardware implemented cache refill circuit or the software implemented cache refill function is to operate, and which is not to operate, in managing the at least one address translation table cache. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An address translation circuit, comprising:
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a hardware implemented cache refill circuit for managing at least one address translation table cache, the at least one address translation table cache containing data used to translate an external address into a physical address of a memory space; and a software implemented cache refill function also for managing the at least one address translation table cache, wherein the hardware implemented cache refill circuit and the software implemented cache refill function are operable to simultaneously refill the at least one address translation table cache, and application software, running on the processing system, calls operating system software of the processing system to;
(i) control the hardware implemented cache refill circuit and the software implemented cache refill function, to operate simultaneously in managing the at least one address translation table cache; and
(ii) determine which of the hardware implemented cache refill circuit or the software implemented cache refill function is to operate, and which is not to operate, in managing the at least one address translation table cache. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A method, comprising:
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providing a hardware implemented cache refill circuit for managing at least one address translation table cache, the at least one address translation table cache containing data used to translate an external address into a physical address of a processing system; providing a software implemented cache refill function also for managing the at least one address translation table cache; permitting application software, running on the processing system, to call operating system software of the processing system to determine which of the hardware implemented cache refill circuit or the software implemented cache refill function is to operate, and which is not to operate, in managing the at least one address translation table cache; refilling the at least one address translation table cache using one of the hardware implemented cache refill circuit and the software implemented cache refill function determined by the application or operating system software; permitting application software, running on the processing system, to call operating system software of the processing system, which controls the hardware implemented cache refill circuit and the software implemented cache refill function, to operate simultaneously in managing the at least one address translation table cache; and refilling the at least one address translation table cache simultaneously using the hardware implemented cache refill circuit and the software implemented cache refill function. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus, comprising:
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at least one processor coupled to a memory; and an address translation circuit operable to translate a virtual address received from an external device into a physical address of the memory, wherein the address translation circuit includes; a hardware implemented cache refill circuit for managing at least one address translation table cache, the at least one address translation table cache containing data used to translate the external address into the physical address; and a software implemented cache refill function also for managing the at least one address translation table cache, wherein;
(i) application software, running on the processing system, calls operating system software of the processing system, which controls the hardware implemented cache refill circuit and the software implemented cache refill function, to operate simultaneously in managing the at least one address translation table cache, and to determine which of the hardware implemented cache refill circuit or the software implemented cache refill function is to operate, and which is not to operate, in managing the at least one address translation table cache;
(ii) the hardware implemented cache refill circuit and the software implemented cache refill function are operable to simultaneously refill the at least one address translation table cache; and
(iii) the software implemented cache refill function is operable to pre-load the at least one address translation table cache prior to a cache miss. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A system, comprising:
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an internal memory space; at least one processor operatively coupled to the memory space; at least one segment table cache, each cache line of the segment table cache representing a different segment of the memory space; at least one page table cache, each entry in the page table cache including at least a portion of a physical address in the memory space and belonging to a group of entries representing a page in a given segment of the memory space; a hardware implemented cache refill circuit for managing the segment and page table caches; and a software implemented cache refill function also for managing the segment and page table caches, wherein;
(i) application software, running on the processing system, calls operating system software of the processing system, which controls the hardware implemented cache refill circuit and the software implemented cache refill function, to operate simultaneously in managing the at least one address translation table cache, and to determine which of the hardware implemented cache refill circuit or the software implemented cache refill function is to operate, and which is not to operate, in managing the at least one address translation table cache;
(ii) the hardware implemented cache refill circuit and the software implemented cache refill function are adapted to operate simultaneously; and
(iii) the software implemented cache refill function is operable to pre-load the segment and page table caches prior to a cache miss.
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Specification