Frequently Asked Questions About Cache Memory and Mapping Techniques

Definition of Terms

1. For a system with two levels of cache, define Tc1=first-level cache access time; Tc2=second-levelcache access time; Tm=memory access time; H1=first-level cache hit ratio; H2=combinedfirst/second level cache hit ratio. Provide an equation for Ta for a read operation.

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2. What are the differences among direct mapping, associative mapping, and set-associative mapping?

3. For a direct-mapped cache, a main memory address is viewed as consisting of three fields. List anddefine the three fields.

4. For an associative cache, a main memory address is viewed as consisting of two fields. List anddefine the two fields.

5. For a set-associative cache, a main memory address is viewed as consisting of three fields. List anddefine the three fields.

6. A cache has a line size of 64 bytes. To determine which byte within a cache line an address points to,how many bits are in the Offset field?

7. A set-associative cache consists of 64 lines, or slots, divided into four-line sets. Main memorycontains 4K blocks of 128 words each. Show the format of main memory addresses.

8. A two-way set-associative cache has lines of 16 bytes and a total size of 8 kB. The 64-MB mainmemory is byte addressable. Show the format of main memory addresses.