Structuring an instruction cache

  • Authors:
  • Philip l. Good

  • Affiliations:
  • Callaway Professor, Fort Valley State College, Fort Valley, GA

  • Venue:
  • ACM SIGARCH Computer Architecture News
  • Year:
  • 1988

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Abstract

Structuring an instruction cache to take advantage of known patterns of access reduces its complexity and space requirements and enhances its performance. Two changes are necessary: 1) Caching a program's instructions in packets simplifies the cache's address mechanism and reduces the number of accesses per run. 2) Replacing only those packets which are not anticipating a return reduces the number of cache misses. These changes require only minor modifications to existing cache designs, yet yield immediate benefits in reduced cost and increased performance.