Maintaining Cache Coherency

The MPLAB® XC32 C compiler’s runtime start-up code enables the cache and configures it for the highest performance (write-back with write allocation). This requires you to manage any potential cache coherency issues.

Any time two resources on a device depend on the same block of memory, you have to control access to that memory to ensure it isn’t simultaneously being changed by one and used by the other. A memory “ownership” flag can be created and used for this purpose.

In addition to controlling access to shared memory, you are also responsible for maintaining cache coherency.

There are 3 ways to achieve this:

1) Completely disable cache

2) Enable cache but disable ability to cache shared data

3) Enable cache and manage cache coherency for shared data

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