Arm Limited

Peter Guy Middleton

David Michael Bull

David Hennah Mansell

Nicolas Chaussade

Simon Charles Watt

Lionel Belnet

David John Gwilt

Michael Thomas Kilpatrick

Richard Roy Grisenthwaite

Bruce James Mathewson

Andrew Christopher Rose

Antony John Harris

Ian Victor Devereux

Michael Robert Nonweiler

Mark Allen Silla

Gary Campbell

John Stuart Kelly

The present invention provides a data processing apparatus and method for managing access to a memory within the data processing apparatus. The data processing apparatus comprises a processor operable in a plurality of modes and a plurality of domains, said plurality of domains comprising a secure domain and a non-secure domain, said plurality of modes including at least one non-secure mode being a mode in the non-secure domain and at least one secure mode being a mode in the secure domain, said processor being operable such that when executing a program in a secure mode said program has access to secure data which is not accessible when said processor is operating in a non-secure mode. Further, a memory is provided for storing data required by the processor, and consists of secure memory for storing secure data and non-secure memory for storing non-secure data. The memory further contains a non-secure table and a secure table, the non-secure table being within the non-secure memory and arranged to contain for each of a number of first memory regions an associated descriptor, and the secure table being within the secure memory and arranged to contain for each of a number of second memory regions an associated descriptor. When access to an item of data in the memory is required by the processor, the processor issues a memory access request, and a memory management unit is provided to perform one or more predetermined access control functions to control issuance of the memory access request to the memory. The memory management unit comprises an internal storage unit operable to store descriptors retrieved by the memory management unit from either the non-secure table or the secure table, and in accordance with the present invention the internal storage unit comprises a flag associated with each descriptor stored within the internal storage unit to identify whether that descriptor is from the non-secure table or the secure table. By this approach, when the processor is operating in a non-secure mode, the memory management unit is operable to perform the predetermined access control functions for the memory access request with reference to access control information derived from the descriptors in the internal storage unit retrieved from the non-secure table. In contrast, when the processor is operating in a secure mode, the memory management unit is operable to perform the predetermined access control functions for the memory access request with reference to access control information derived from the descriptors in the internal storage unit retrieved from the secure table. This approach enables different descriptors to be used for the control of accesses to memory in either the secure domain or the non-secure domain, whilst enabling such different descriptors to co-exist within the memory management unit's internal storage unit, thereby avoiding the requirement to flush the contents of such an internal storage unit when the operation of the processor changes from the secure domain to the non-secure domain, or vice versa.

Apparatus and method for managing access to a memory

The present invention provides a data processing apparatus and method for controlling access to a memory. The data processing apparatus has a secure domain and a non-secure domain, in the secure domain the data processing apparatus having access to secure data which is not accessible in the non-secure domain. The data processing apparatus comprises a device coupled to a memory via a device bus, and operable, when an item of data in the memory is required by the device, to issue onto the device bus a memory access request pertaining to either the secure domain or the non-secure domain. The memory is operable to store data required by the device, and contains secure memory for storing secure data and non-secure memory for storing non-secure data. In accordance with the present invention, the data processing apparatus further comprises partition checking logic coupled to the device bus and operable whenever the memory access request as issued by the device pertains to the non-secure domain, to detect if the memory access request is seeking to access the secure memory and upon such detection to prevent the access specified by that memory request. This approach significantly improves the security of data contained within a secure portion of memory.

Control of access to a memory by a device

A data processing system is provided with a bus having separate write channels W and read channels R via which bus transactions are made. Bus transaction buffersare provided within the bus structure to buffer write requests, particularly so as to alleviate problems associated with relatively slow bus slaves. The bus transaction buffersare responsive to the memory addresses associated with write requests and read requests which pass through them to identify those to the same memory address, or memory addresses within a predetermined range, so as to either ensure a strict correct ordering of those transactions, read to follow write, or to satisfy a read following a write with a buffered write data value and then flushing the read request such that it does not reach its final destination.

Bus transaction management within data processing systems

The present invention provides a data processing apparatus and method for controlling access to a memory in the data processing apparatus. The apparatus comprises a processor operable in a plurality of modes and a plurality of domains, said plurality of domains comprising a secure domain and a non-secure domain, said plurality of modes including at least one non-secure mode being a mode in the non-secure domain and at least one secure mode being a mode in the secure domain. The processor is operable such that when executing a program in a secure mode the program has access to secure data which is not accessible when the processor is operating in a non-secure mode. A memory is operable to store data required by the processor and comprises secure memory for storing secure data and non-secure memory for storing non-secure data, the processor being operable to issue a memory access request when access to an item of data in the memory is required. At least one memory management unit is provided which is operable, upon receipt of the memory access request from the processor, to perform conversion of a virtual address specified by the memory access request to a physical address. A first set of tables is provided, each table in the first set containing a number of first descriptors, each first descriptor containing at least a virtual address portion and a corresponding intermediate address portion, and a second set of tables is also provided, with each table in the second set containing a number of second descriptors, each second descriptor containing at least an intermediate address portion and a corresponding physical address portion. The second set of tables are managed by the processor when operating in a privileged mode which is not a non-secure mode, and hence remains secure. The at least one memory management unit is then operable to cause predetermined tables in the first and second set to be referenced to enable the conversion of the virtual address specified by the memory access request to a physical address.

Apparatus and method for controlling access to a memory

The present invention relates to a technique for accessing memory units in a data processing apparatus. The data processing apparatus comprises of plurality of memory units for storing data values, a processor core for issuing an access request specifying an access to be made to the memory units in relation to a data value, and a memory controller for performing the access specified by the access request. Attribute generation logic is provided for determining from the access request one or more predetermined attributes verifying which of the memory units should be used when performing the access. However, the memory controller does not wait until such determination has been performed by the attribute generation logic before beginning the access. Instead, prediction logic is arranged to predict the one or more predetermined attributes, and clock generation logic is responsive to the predictive predetermined attributes from the prediction logic to select which one of the memory units is to be clocked during performance of the access, and to issue a clock signal to that memory unit. Checking logic is then provided to determine whether the predetermined attributes generated by the attribute generation logic agree with the predicted predetermined attributes, and if not, to reinitiate the access, in which event the clock generation logic is arranged to reselect one of the memory units using the predetermined attributes as determined by the attribute generation logic. This approach enables high speed processing of access requests, whilst achieving significant power savings over prior art systems where multiple memory units are clocked speculatively in parallel.

Accessing memory units in a data processing apparatus

A valid memory is provided storing valid words with bit positions indicating whether corresponding cache lines within a cache memory store valid data. Flip-flop circuits are provided to indicate whether or not the valid words within the valid memory are themselves valid. The number of valid words corresponding to an individual flip-flop circuit varies in dependence upon the size of the valid memory . Thus, for example, a single flip-flop circuit may indicate whether one, two, four or eight valid words from the valid memory are storing valid data depending upon the particular size of the valid memory employed.

Indicator of validity status information for data storage within a data processing system

The data processing apparatus comprises a cache having a plurality of cache lines for storing data values retrieved from a plurality of memory regions, when a data value from a first memory region is stored in the cache and is subsequently updated within the cache by a new data value, the new data value is not transferred to memory until that new data value is removed from the cache. A marker is associated with each cache line and is settable to indicate that the data values stored in the corresponding cache line are from said first memory region. A protection unit for controlling the transfer of data values between the cache and the memory, is arranged, when said data values are to be loaded from the memory into a cache line of the cache, to determine whether said data values are from said first memory region and to cause the marker to be set accordingly. When the processor core outputs a new data value for storage, the cache is arranged to determine if the new data value is to replace a data value stored in a cache line of the cache, and if so to update the corresponding cache line with the new data value, and to apply predetermined criteria to determine whether to set an update identifier, such that when the new data value is subsequently removed from the cache it can be determined whether to transfer that new data value to the memory.

Management of caches in a data processing apparatus

A data processing system is provided having a main processor and a coprocessor . When in a debug mode, the main processor and the coprocessor are supplied with different instructions. The coprocessor is supplied with a coprocessor debug data generation instruction (MCR) whilst the main processor is supplied with a main processor data capture instruction (LDR). The coprocessor responds to the MCR instruction by controlling debug data representing state of the data processing apparatus to be placed upon a data bus from where it is read by the main processor under control of the LDR instruction.

Debugging data processing systems

A cache memory system is described in which a content addressable memory and a cache RAM memory are provided. Each content addressable storage row has an associated hit line and an access enable line . An index decoder is provided for controlling cache replacement and cache maintenance operations. The hit line is used for passing both hit signals to the cache RAM and select signals generated by the index decoder . A gate operating under control of a multiplexer controller controls this dual-use of the hit line in dependence upon a selected mode of operation. In some embodiments a fast block transfer may be performed by loading data from a first address A into the cache memory . A match for the TAG value of the first address A could then be performed and the corresponding hit signal asserted and latched within a latch . Upon a subsequent cycle the latched hit signal can be passed to an access enable line to permit a new TAG value corresponding to a second address B to be written to the content addressable memory . The cached data values from the first address A are now present within the cache memory system associated with a TAG value of the second address B. The dirty bit may be set to ensure that writeback occurs when the data value is removed from the cache memory thereby ensuring data integrity.

Cache memory

A data processing system is provided with a processor core that issues virtual addresses VA that are translated to mapped addresses MA by an address translation circuit based upon a predicted address mapping. The mapped address MA is used for a memory access within a memory system . The mapped address MA starts to be used before a mapping validity circuit has determined whether or not the predicted translation was valid. Accordingly, if the predicted address translation turns out to be invalid, then the memory access is aborted. The state of the processor core is preserved either by stretching the processor clock signal or by continuing the processor clock signal and waiting the processor . The memory system then restarts the memory access with the correct translated address.

Memory address translation in a data processing system

An image processing system is described in which a data buffer memory,is provided between an image processor,and an image frame memory,The data buffer memory,stores a sub-set of the raster lines stored within the image frame memory,. This data can be read in either an intra-raster-line mode from adjacent memory cells within a bank or in an inter-raster-line mode from memory cell locations at corresponding positions within different banks. The data may be 8-bit pixel data or 16-bit pixel data. In the case of 8-bit pixel data a single bank contains a full raster line whereas in the case of 16-bit pixel data a single raster line extends over two banks.

Apparatus and method for image data processing of pixel data in raster lines

A cache memory 18 is formed of a content addressable memory 20 and a cache RAM 22. The content addressable memory 20 is divided into two or more sections by an AND gate array 28 that serves to selectively either block or unblock the bit lines 26 that supply an input data word to the bit storage and comparison cells 34 of the content addressable memory 20. The generation of match signals for each section is also selectively blocked by preventing the match signal discharge to ground. The match signals from a blocked section are not passed to the RAM 22. The AND gate array 28 and match signal disable may be controlled by the least significant bit of the input data word, higher order bits of the input data word or may be controlled by a bit selected by program control from among the bits of the input data word. When a portion of the bit lines 26 are blocked by the AND gate array 28, then the capacitance of the bit lines 26 that need to be driven is reduced and the number of match lines discharged is halved thereby reducing power consumption.

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Mougins, France

Peter Guy Middleton