DEW: A fast level 1 cache simulation approach for embedded processors with FIFO replacement policy

Abstract

Increasing the speed of cache simulation to obtain hit/miss rates enables performance estimation, cache exploration for embedded systems and energy estimation. Previously, such simulations, particularly exact approaches, have been exclusively for caches which utilize the least recently used (LRU) replacement policy. In this paper, we propose a new, fast and exact cache simulation method for the First In First Out(FIFO) replacement policy. This method, called DEW, is able to simulate multiple level 1 cache configurations (different set sizes, associativities, and block sizes) with FIFO replacement policy. DEW utilizes a binomial tree based representation of cache configurations and a novel searching method to speed up simulation over single cache simulators like Dinero IV. Depending on different cache block sizes and benchmark applications, DEW operates around 8 to 40 times faster than Dinero IV. Dinero IV compares 2.17 to 19.42 times more cache ways than DEW to determine accurate miss rates.