CACHE MEMORY DEVICE AND METHOD THEREOF FOR STORING HIERARCHICAL MEMORY ITEM AND CACHE TAG WITHIN SINGLE CACHE ARRAY STRUCTURE

摘要

PPROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cache memory device for storing a hierarchical memory item and a cache tag without causing complication of an architecture, increase of a manufacturing cost or degradation of operation speed. PSOLUTION: This cache memory device comprises a cache array having a single cache array structure wherein one such single cache array structure consists of a plurality of cache entries. Each of the cache entries consists of a memory item section for storing the memory items and a cache tag section for storing cache tags. Each such cache tag identifies one of the cache entries. The cache array is responsive to address signals for reading out the contents of the cache entries. The device further comprises: a logic circuit responsive to memory requests for generating the address signals; a circuit for comparing the cache tags with the memory requests for a predetermined relationship; an address bus for carrying the address signals to the cache array; and a data bus for carrying the cache tags and the memory items between the cache array and the logic circuit. PCOPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI