[comp.sys.m68k] 68020 cache

870646c@aucs.UUCP (Barry Comer) (04/20/89)

I am thinking of buying a 68020 board for my Amiga 2000, but I was wondering
if the cache on the 68020 is normally active or does the programmer
have to turn it on???

later
Barry Comer 870646c@aucs.UUCP





 

bryce@cbmvax.UUCP (Bryce Nesbitt) (04/22/89)

In article <1835@aucs.UUCP> 870646c@aucs.UUCP (Barry Comer) writes:
>...but I was wondering
>if the cache on the 68020 is normally active or does the programmer
>have to turn it on???

The 68020 instruction cache defaults to OFF at external reset (or power on).

In the specific case of the Amiga OS, the Executive detects the 68020, and
turns on the cache.  Programmers may query the system for the CPU type,
but generaly there is no need to.

	-Bryce Nesbitt, Commodore-Amiga, Inc.


Note that the RESET *instruction* does not disable the cache, MMU or FPU.  This
can make a soft reboot just a bit trickier to write :-).
-- 
|\_/|  . ACK!, NAK!, EOT!, SOH!
{O o} .     Bryce Nesbitt, Commodore-Amiga, Inc.
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daveh@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Haynie) (04/22/89)

in article <1835@aucs.UUCP>, 870646c@aucs.UUCP (Barry Comer) says:

> I am thinking of buying a 68020 board for my Amiga 2000, but I was wondering
> if the cache on the 68020 is normally active or does the programmer
> have to turn it on???

The 68020 comes up with the cache turned off.  The Amiga operating since
release 1.2 will turn it on before any user interaction takes place.  The
SetCPU program will allow you to turn it off, but there should rarely if 
ever be a reason for that.

> Barry Comer 870646c@aucs.UUCP
-- 
Dave Haynie  "The 32 Bit Guy"     Commodore-Amiga  "The Crew That Never Rests"
   {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh      PLINK: D-DAVE H     BIX: hazy
              Amiga -- It's not just a job, it's an obsession