Abstract
In recent years, cache locking have appeared as a
solution to ease the schedulability analysis of real-time systems
using cache memories maintaining, at the same time, similar
performance improvements than regular cache memories. New
devices for the embedded market couple a processor and a
programmable logic device designed to enhance system flexibility
and increase the possibilities of customisation in the field. This
arrangement may help to improve the use of cache locking in
real-time systems. This work proposes the use of this embedded
programmable logic device to implement a logic function that
provides the cache controller the information it needs in order to
determine if a referenced main memory block has to be loaded
and locked into the cache; we have called this circuit a Locking
State Generator. Experiments show the requirements in terms of
number of hardware resources and a way to reduce them and
the circuit complexity. This reduction ranges from 50% up to
80% of the number of hardware resources originally needed to
build the Locking State Generator circuit.
