Intel Embedded Intel486

EMBEDDED Intel486™ PROCESSOR HARDWARE REFERENCE MANUAL
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Figure 2-3. Loosely Coupled Multi-processor System
2.4.3 External Cache
External cache allows a system to achieve maximum performance. This cache is essential in
tightly coupled multi-processor embedded systems. The external cache consists of cache memory
(usually fast SRAM) and cache control logic.
External cache systems typically provide access to the cache from both the processor and the sys-
tem buses. This is shown in Figure 2-4. These caches typically monitor processor memory ac-
cesses, processor access time, and consistency between cache and memory. The cache controller
is responsible for maintaining an optimal mix of data and instructions in cache.
Intel486™
Processor
Memory
Processor Bus
I/O
Bus
Controller
System Bus
Intel486™
Processor
I/O
Processor Bus
Memory
Bus
Controller