Cache device that reduces waiting time necessary for a given subsequent

Abstract

A cache device of the present invention has a path through which the desired data contained in block load data transferred from a main memory are delivered to a processing unit which required the desired data, even when cache access by an instruction for accessing the main memory results in a cache miss. This path is different from a path through which the desired data is read from a data array of the cache device when a cache hit occures. Namely, the path in question neither contains a path from the main memory to the data array nor a path from the data array to a general purpose register which the processing unit can refer to, and allows the desired data delivered from the main memory to be directly transmitted to the processing unit. The cache device, as soon as it finds the desired data out of block load data delivered from the main memory, writes them into the general purpose register by way of the path in question. The block load data delivered from the main memory are stored in a data buffer, and then written sequentially into the data array.