SPRUHX5I August 2014 – May 2024 TMS320F28374S , TMS320F28375S , TMS320F28375S-Q1 , TMS320F28376S , TMS320F28377S , TMS320F28377S-Q1 , TMS320F28378S , TMS320F28379S
Flash memory is typically used to store application code. During code execution, instructions are fetched from sequential memory addresses, except when a discontinuity occurs. Usually the portion of the code that resides in sequential addresses makes up the majority of the application code and is referred to as linear code. To improve the performance of linear code execution, a Flash prefetch-mechanism has been implemented in the FMC. Figure 3-18 illustrates how this mode functions.
This prefetch mechanism does a look-ahead prefetch on linear address increments starting from the address of the last instruction fetch. The Flash prefetch mechanism is disabled by default. Setting the PREFETCH_EN bit in the FRD_INTF_CTRL register enables this prefetch mode.
An instruction fetch from the Flash or OTP memory reads out 128 bits per access. The starting address of the access from Flash is automatically aligned to a 128-bit boundary, such that the instruction location is within the 128 bits to be fetched. With the Flash prefetch mode enabled, the 128 bits read from the instruction fetch are stored in a 128-bit wide by 2-level deep instruction prefetch buffer. The contents of this prefetch buffer are then sent to the CPU for processing as required.
Up to four 32-bit or eight 16-bit instructions can reside within a single 128-bit access. The majority of C28x instructions are 16 bits, so for every 128-bit instruction fetch from the Flash bank, it is likely that there are up to eight instructions in the prefetch buffer ready to process through the CPU. During the time it takes to process these instructions, the Flash prefetch mechanism automatically initiates another access to the Flash bank to prefetch the next 128 bits. In this manner, the Flash prefetch mechanism works in the background to keep the instruction prefetch buffers as full as possible. Using this technique, the overall efficiency of sequential code execution from Flash or OTP memory is improved significantly.
The Flash prefetch is aborted only on a PC discontinuity caused by executing an instruction such as a branch, BANZ, call, or loop. When this occurs, the prefetch mechanism is aborted and the contents of the prefetch buffer are flushed. There are two possible scenarios when this occurs:
Note that the prefetch mechanism gets bypassed when RWAIT is configured as zero.