README.md

Cache-Simulator-with-Visual-Interface

A cache simulator with a hit checking mechanism, a mapping display of memory addresses and cache blocks, the implementation of a substitution algorithm, the handling of mismatches between the block size and the data size, and the separation of the data cache from the instruction cache. And with visual interface.

Features

• Hit check mechanism
• Mapping of memory address and cache block
  • Full associativity
  • Set associativity
  • Direct mapping
• Implementation of some replacement algorithms
  • LRU
  • Random
  • LFU
  • FIFO
• Handling of mismatch between block size and data size
• Visual Cache

Installation

Just download CacheSimulator.py and run.

Usage

• -h --help: show man page and exit
• -v --version: show simulator version
• -a --args {Cache_size,Block_size,Associativity}: initial cache size
• -p --policy 'Replacement_policy': initial cache replacement policy
• -s --sequence mem.sequence: add your memory access sequence file
• -g --graph: use visual interface
• When performing a visual simulation, press ESC to exit and other keys to continue
• help page:

PLEASE NOTE

Each line of your memory access sequence file should be of the following form

<instruction> <size> <address>

And the 'instruction' part must choose from Read, IFerch or Write

For example：

Read 4 0x70700
IFetch 4 0x1b4d0
Write 8 0x6bab8

Examples

If there exists a access sequence file called 'mem.txt', you can simulate cache like this:

python CacheSimulator.py -a 1024,4,4 -p 'LRU' -s mem.txt

Than you will get follow result:

It will statistics and calculation the hit rate of this access sequence in the cache you modified.

Or you can add "-g" for visual interface:

python CacheSimulator.py -a 1024,4,4 -p 'LRU' -s mem.txt -g

It will show the entire cache, and each time you press a key other than ESC, it will execute the next command. If a cache miss occurs, the cache update will be marked in red. You can press ESC to exit midway.

Future work

• Breakpoint
• Include a running alert and a progress bar when running in a non-graphical interface.
• Let the user choose whether to display the full command sequence

• Data cache and instruction cache can be separated
• More replacement policy