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Alpha 21264/EV67 Hardware Reference Manual
Cache and External Interfaces 4–7
Bcache Structure
4.3 Bcache Structure
The 21264/EV67 Cbox provides control signals and an interface for a second-level
cache (Bcache).
The 21264/EV67 supports a Bcache from 1MB to 16MB, with 64-byte blocks. A 128-
bit bidirectional data bus is used for transfers between the 21264/EV67 and the Bcache.
The Bcache is fully synchronous and the synchronous static RAMs (SSRAMs) must
contain either one, two, or three internal registers. All Bcache control and address pins
are clocked synchronously on Bcache cycle boundaries. The Bcache clock rate varies as
a multiple of the CPU clock cycle in half-cycle increments from 1.5 to 4.0, and in full-
cycle increments of 5, 6, 7, and 8 times the CPU clock cycle. The 1.5 multiple is only
available in dual-data mode.
4.3.1 Bcache Interface Signals
Figure 4–2 shows the 21264/EV67 system interface signals.
Figure 4–2 21264/EV67 Bcache Interface Signals
4.3.2 System Duplicate Tag Stores
The 21264/EV67 provides Bcache state support for systems with and without duplicate
tag stores, and will take different actions on this basis. The system sets the Cbox CSR
DUP_TAG_ENA[0], indicating that it has a duplicate tag store for the Bcache. Systems
using the DUP_TAG_ENA[0] bit must also use the Cbox CSR
BC_CLEAN_VICTIM[0] bit to avoid deadlock situations.
Systems using a Bcache duplicate tag store can accelerate system performance by:
21264
BcData_H[127:0]
FM-05650-EV6
7
BcCheck_H[15:0]
BcDataInClk_H[7:0]
BcDataOutClk_[3:0]
x
BcDataOE_L
BcDataWr_L
BcAdd_H[23:4]
BcTag_H[42:20]
BcTagInClk_H
BcTagOutClk_
x
BcVref
BcTagDirty_H
BcTagParity_H
BcTagShared_H
BcTagValid_H
BcTagOE_L
BcTagWr_L
BcLoad_L