Texas Instruments Corporation

Pete Michael Hippleheuser

Naveen Bhoria

Timothy David Anderson

Abhijeet Ashok Chachad

David Matthew Thompson

A caching system including a first sub-cache and a second sub-cache in parallel with the first sub-cache, wherein the second sub-cache includes a set of cache lines, line type bits configured to store an indication that a corresponding cache line of the set of cache lines is configured to store write-miss data, and an eviction controller configured to flush stored write-miss data based on the line type bits.

Victim cache that supports draining write-miss entries

Techniques for caching data are provided that include receiving, by a caching system, a write memory command for a memory address, the write memory command associated with a first color tag, determining, by a first sub-cache of the caching system, that the memory address is not cached in the first sub-cache, determining, by second sub-cache of the caching system, that the memory address is not cached in the second sub-cache, storing first data associated with the first write memory command in a cache line of the second sub-cache, storing the first color tag in the second sub-cache, receiving a second write memory command for the cache line, the write memory command associated with a second color tag, merging the second color tag with the first color tag, storing the merged color tag, and evicting the cache line based on the merged color tag.

Write merging on stores with different tags

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to facilitate write miss caching in cache system are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a first cache storage; a second cache storage, wherein the second cache storage includes a first portion operable to store a first set of data evicted from the first cache storage and a second portion; a cache controller coupled to the first cache storage and the second cache storage and operable to: receive a write operation; determine that the write operation produces a miss in the first cache storage; and in response to the miss in the first cache storage, provide write miss information associated with the write operation to the second cache storage for storing in the second portion.

Methods and apparatus to facilitate write miss caching in cache system

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed facilitate read-modify-write support in a coherent victim cache with parallel data paths. An example apparatus includes a random-access memory configured to be coupled to a central processing unit via a first interface and a second interface, the random-access memory configured to obtain a read request indicating a first address to read via a snoop interface, an address encoder coupled to the random-access memory, the address encoder to, when the random-access memory indicates a hit of the read request, generate a second address corresponding to a victim cache based on the first address, and a multiplexer coupled to the victim cache to transmit a response including data obtained from the second address of the victim cache.

Methods and apparatus to facilitate read-modify-write support in a coherent victim cache with parallel data paths

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to facilitate atomic operation in victim cache are disclosed. An example system includes a first cache storage to store a first set of data; a second cache storage to store a second set of data that has been evicted from the first cache storage; and a storage queue coupled to the first cache storage and the second cache storage, the storage queue including: an arithmetic component to: receive the second set of data from the second cache storage in response to a memory operation; and perform an arithmetic operation on the second set of data to produce a third set of data; and an arbitration manager to store the third set of data in the second cache storage.

Methods and apparatus to facilitate atomic operations in victim cache

A caching system including a first sub-cache, a second sub-cache, coupled in parallel with the first sub-cache, for storing cache data evicted from the first sub-cache and write-memory commands that are not cached in the first sub-cache, and a cache controller configured to receive two or more cache commands, determine a conflict exists between the received two or more cache commands, determine a conflict resolution between the received two or more cache commands, and sending the two or more cache commands to the first sub-cache and the second sub-cache.

Victim cache with write miss merging

A caching system including a first sub-cache, a second sub-cache, coupled in parallel with the first sub-cache, for storing write-memory commands that are not cached in the first sub-cache, the second sub-cache including privilege bits configured to store an indication that a corresponding cache line of the second sub-cache is associated with a level of privilege, and wherein the second sub-cache is further configured to receive a first write memory command for a memory address associated with a first level of privilege, store, in the second sub-cache, first data associated with the first write memory command and the level of privilege associated with the cache line, receive a second write memory command for the cache line, the second write memory command associated with a second level of privilege, merge the first level of privilege with the second level of privilege, and output the merged privilege level with the cache line.

Write merging on stores with different privilege levels

A caching system including a first sub-cache, and a second sub-cache, coupled in parallel with the first cache, for storing cache data evicted from the first sub-cache and write-memory commands that are not cached in the first sub-cache, and wherein the second sub-cache includes: color tag bits configured to store an indication that a corresponding cache line of the second sub-cache storing write miss data is associated with a color tag, and an eviction controller configured to evict cache lines of the second sub-cache storing write-miss data based on the color tag associated with the cache line.

Hybrid victim cache and write miss buffer with fence operation

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for multi-banked victim cache with dual datapath. An example cache system includes a storage element that includes banks operable to store data, ports operable to receive memory operations in parallel, wherein each of the memory operations has a respective address, and a plurality of comparators coupled such that each of the comparators is coupled to a respective port of the ports and a respective bank of the banks and is operable to determine whether a respective address of a respective memory operation received by the respective port corresponds to the data stored in the respective bank.

Methods and apparatus for multi-banked victim cache with dual datapath

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to facilitate atomic compare and swap in cache for a coherent level 1 data cache system are disclosed. An example system includes a cache storage; a cache controller coupled to the cache storage wherein the cache controller is operable to: receive a memory operation that specifies a key, a memory address, and a first set of data; retrieve a second set of data corresponding to the memory address; compare the second set of data to the key; based on the second set of data corresponding to the key, cause the first set of data to be stored at the memory address; and based on the second set of data not corresponding to the key, complete the memory operation without causing the first set of data to be stored at the memory address.

Atomic compare and swap in a coherent cache system

A caching system including a first sub-cache and a second sub-cache in parallel with the first sub-cache, wherein the second sub-cache includes: line type bits configured to store an indication that a corresponding cache line of the second sub-cache is configured to store write-miss data, and an eviction controller configured to evict a cache line of the second sub-cache storing write-miss data based on an indication that the cache line has been fully written.

Aggressive write flush scheme for a victim cache

An apparatus includes a CPU core and a L1 cache subsystem including a L1 main cache, a L1 victim cache, and a L1 controller. The apparatus includes a L2 cache subsystem including a L2 main cache, a shadow L1 main cache, a shadow L1 victim cache, and a L2 controller configured to receive a read request from the L1 controller as a single transaction. Read request includes a read address, a first indication of an address and a coherence state of a cache line A to be moved from the L1 main cache to the L1 victim cache to allocate space for data returned in response to the read request, and a second indication of an address and a coherence state of a cache line B to be removed from the L1 victim cache in response to the cache line A being moved to the L1 victim cache.

Hardware coherence signaling protocol

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to reduce bank pressure using aggressive write merging are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a first cache storage; a second cache storage; a store queue coupled to at least one of the first cache storage and the second cache storage and operable to: receive a first memory operation; process the first memory operation for storing the first set of data in at least one of the first cache storage and the second cache storage; receive a second memory operation; and prior to storing the first set of data in the at least one of the first cache storage and the second cache storage, merge the first memory operation and the second memory operation.

Methods and apparatus to reduce bank pressure using aggressive write merging

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to facilitate fully pipelined read-modify-write support in level 1 data cache using store queue and data forwarding. An example apparatus includes a first storage, a second storage, a store queue coupled to the first storage and the second storage, the store queue operable to receive a first memory operation specifying a first set of data, process the first memory operation for storing the first set of data in at least one of the first storage and the second storage, receive a second memory operation, and prior to storing the first set of data in the at least one of the first storage and the second storage, feedback the first set of data for use in the second memory operation.

Fully pipelined read-modify-write support

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for allocation in a victim cache system. An example apparatus includes a first cache storage, a second cache storage, a cache controller coupled to the first cache storage and the second cache storage and operable to receive a memory operation that specifies an address, determine, based on the address, that the memory operation evicts a first set of data from the first cache storage, determine that the first set of data is unmodified relative to an extended memory, and cause the first set of data to be stored in the second cache storage.

Growing community of inventors

Murphy, TX, United States of America

Pete Michael Hippleheuser