Patent · US Expired

Cache memory having a read-modify-write operation and simultaneous burst read and write operations and a method therefor

US5802586A · kind A · utility

11Cited by
18References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 27, 1995
Grant dateSep 1, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 27, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02D10/00
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A multiple-way, set associative cache memory (20) allows burst read and burst write operations to occur simultaneously on different columns within a memory block during a read-modify-write operation. This is accomplished by using a write column logic (47) and a read column logic (51) to delay write column decode signals by one clock cycle from the read column decode signals. When data is being burst into and out of the cache during the read-modify-write operation, the first read cycle from the cache array (40) occurs, and one clock cycle later, the first write cycle occurs. The first write cycle occurs during the same time interval as the second read cycle. This increases the speed of a read-modify-write operation, relaxes timing constraints on the read and write operations, while reducing the power consumption of the cache.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.