FV80503CSM66166 datasheet(13/62 Pages) INTEL

13 / 62 page

Low-Power Embedded Pentium® Processor with MMX™ Technology

Datasheet

2.2.2

16-Kbyte Code and Data Caches

On-chip level-1 data and code cache sizes are 16 Kbytes each and are 4-way set associative on the

Pentium processor with MMX technology. Large separate internal caches improve performance by

reducing average memory access time and providing fast access to recently-used instructions and

data. The instruction and data caches can be accessed simultaneously while the data cache supports

two data references simultaneously. The data cache supports a write-back (or alternatively, write-

through, on a line-by-line basis) policy for memory updates.

2.2.3

Improved Branch Prediction

Dynamic branch prediction uses the Branch Target Buffer (BTB) to boost performance by

predicting the most likely set of instructions to be executed. The BTB has been improved on the

Pentium processor with MMX technology to increase its accuracy. This processor has four prefetch

buffers that can hold up to four successive code streams.

2.2.4

Enhanced Pipeline

An additional pipeline stage has been added and the pipeline has been enhanced to improve

performance. The integration of the MMX technology pipeline with the integer pipeline is very

similar to that of the floating-point pipeline. Under some circumstances, two MMX instructions or

one integer and one MMX instruction can be paired and issued in one clock cycle to increase

throughput. The enhanced pipeline is described in more detail in the Embedded Pentium

Processor Family Developer’s Manual (order number 273204).

2.2.5

Deeper Write Buffers

A pool of four write buffers is now shared between the dual pipelines to improve memory write

performance.

2.3

0.25 Micron Technology

The 0.25 micron technology is the state-of-the-art CMOS manufacturing process Intel unveiled on

April 12, 1997, enabling the use of lower core supply to sub-2 V. As a result, the low-power

embedded Pentium processor with MMX technology consumes significantly less power at even

higher speeds.

FV80503CSM66166 Datasheet(PDF) 13 Page - Intel Corporation