Beto, the cache memory simulator

• Leandro Gabriel Fluminense Federal University
• Victor Antunes Vieira Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Acre https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4351-5958
• Simone Martins Fluminense Federal University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9506-6640

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/cbie_estendido.2022.226359

Abstract

The procedures performed by computers involving software and hardware and studied in Computer Architecture and Organization disciplines are abstract. With that in mind, a cache memory simulator was developed called Beto, named in honor of Robert Dennard, considered the father of solid-state RAM as we know it today. Contents such as numerical base conversion, memory hierarchy and addressing, virtual memory, data replacement algorithms and writing policies in main memory are approached in an interactive way. Beto's interface displays the data referring to the address in the cache memory in a complete way and the animation allows viewing each of the steps of the addressing algorithm. The user still has control and freedom to configure the environment. Beto is available at https://simuladorcache.leandrogabriel.net and a demo video is available at https://youtu.be/nYRIQZseuRc. It is hoped that the tool will help users to better understand the concept of memory hierarchy and especially how data transfer between main memory and cache memory works.

Keywords: Memory, cache, simulator, computer architecture and organization, beto

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