A dynamic code placement technique for scratchpad memory using postpass optimization

In this paper, we propose a fully automatic dynamic scratchpad memory (SPM) management technique for instructions. Our technique loads required code segments into the SPM on demand at runtime. Our approach is based on postpass analysis and optimization techniques, and it handles the whole program, including libraries. The code mapping is determined by solving mixed integer linear programming formulation that approximates our demand paging technique. We increase the effectiveness of demand paging by extracting from functions natural loops that are smaller in size and have a higher instruction fetch count. The postpass optimizer analyzes the object files of an application and transforms them into an application binary image that enables demand paging to the SPM. We evaluate our technique on eleven embedded applications and compare it to a processor core with an instruction cache in terms of its performance and energy consumption. The cache size is about 20% of the executed code size, ...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2006
• Where: CASES
• Authors: Bernhard Egger, Chihun Kim, Choonki Jang, Yoonsung Nam, Jaejin Lee, Sang Lyul Min
• Keywords: CASES 2006, Demand Paging, Demand Paging Technique, SPM Size