METHOD FOR FILTERING TRAFFIC TO A PHYSICALLY TAGGED DATA CACHE

摘要

Embodiments of a data cache are disclosed that substantially decrease a number of accesses to a physically tagged tag array of the data cache are provided. In general the data cache includes a data array that stores data elements a physically tagged tag array and a virtually tagged tag array. In one embodiment the virtually tagged tag array receives a virtual address. If there is a match for the virtual address in the virtually tagged tag array the virtually tagged tag array outputs to the data array a way stored in the virtually tagged tag array for the virtual address. In addition in one embodiment the virtually tagged tag array disables the physically tagged tag array. Using the way output by the virtually tagged tag array a desired data element in the data array is addressed.