Claims
- 1. A memory apparatus, comprising:
- a) a buffer memory mechanism, having:
- a memory unit comprising a plurality of entries and a spare entry, each entry including a valid bit, a tag field and a data field, said valid bits, tag fields and data fields each having a value,
- a control memory connected to said memory unit, wherein said control memory stores values of access enabling bits corresponding to each of said entries of said memory unit, and
- a hit or miss judging unit which determines whether said data field value of one of said entries is valid or invalid according to said associated valid bit and tag field values when said corresponding access enabling bit is a first value, and determines that one of said entries is invalid irrespective of said data field value when said corresponding access enabling bit is a second value;
- b) an operation mechanism connected to said buffer memory mechanism, having a register and an operation circuit, said operation mechanism capable of writing data into and reading data from said buffer memory mechanism for operation between the data; and
- c) a diagnosis circuit, said diagnosis circuit including:
- means for diagnosing failures in said entries of said memory unit,
- means for setting said access enabling bits corresponding to the entries in which no failure is diagnosed to said first value, and for setting said access enabling bits corresponding to the entries in which a failure is diagnosed to said second value, so as to invalidate said entries in which a failure is diagnosed; and
- means for replacing one of said entries in which a failure is diagnosed with said spare entry.
- 2. A data processor, comprising:
- a) a buffer memory mechanism, having:
- a memory unit comprising a plurality of entries and a spare entry each entry, including a valid bit, a tag field and a data field, and
- a control memory connected to said memory unit, wherein said control memory stores values of access enabling bits corresponding to each of said entries of said memory unit, and
- b) an operation mechanism connected to said buffer memory mechanism, having a register and an operation circuit, said operation mechanism capable of writing data into and reading data from said buffer memory mechanism for operation between the data;
- wherein said operation mechanism includes:
- means for diagnosing failures in the entries of said memory unit,
- means for invalidating said entries in which a failure is diagnosed, by setting said access enabling bits corresponding to said entries in which no failure is diagnosed to a first value, and by setting said access enabling bits corresponding to said entries in which a failure is diagnosed to a second value; and
- means for replacing one of said entries in which a failure is diagnosed with said spare entry.
- 3. A method of relieving failures in a memory unit having a plurality of entries and a spare entry, each entry including a valid bit, a tag field and a data field, said memory unit coupled to a control memory, wherein said control memory stores values of access enabling bits corresponding to each of said entries of said memory unit, the method comprising the steps of:
- diagnosing failures in the entries of said memory unit;
- invalidating entries in which a failure is diagnosed; and
- replacing one of said entries in which a failure is diagnosed with said spare entry.
- 4. The method of claim 3, wherein said step of invalidating entries in which a failure is diagnosed includes the steps of:
- setting said access enabling bits corresponding to said entries in which no failure is diagnosed to a first value; and
- setting said access enabling bits corresponding to said entries in which a failure is diagnosed to a second value.
Priority Claims (1)
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Date |
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3-197688 |
Aug 1991 |
JPX |
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Parent Case Info
This is a Divisional of application Ser. No. 08/403,558, filed Mar. 13, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,644,699, which is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 07/883,582, filed May 14, 1992, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (17)
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"System, Process and Design Implications of a Reduced Supply voltage Microprocessor," R. Allmon, et al., ISCC Digest of Technical Papers, pp. 48-49, Feb. 1990 (vol. 33). |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
403558 |
Mar 1995 |
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Continuations (1)
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Date |
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883582 |
May 1992 |
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