Question

In a byte-addressable computer with a small data cache capable of holding eight 32-bit words, and each cache block consisting of two 32-bit words, the RAM has 4k bytes (12-bit address size). When a given program is executed, the processor reads data sequentially from the hexadecimal addresses in the table below.

What is the hit ratio for the cache based on the provided information?
a) 0%
b) 25%
c) 50%
d) 75%
e) 100%

Answer 1

The hit ratio for the cache based on the provided information is 0%.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the hit ratio for the cache, we need to determine the number of cache hits and cache misses.

Each cache block consists of two 32-bit words, so the cache can hold a total of 4 cache blocks.

Given that the sequential data reads are from hexadecimal addresses, we can convert them to binary addresses and check if the addresses fall within the cache's range. If an address is found in the cache, it is a hit; otherwise, it is a miss.

Based on the provided information, all the data reads in the table fall outside the cache's range. Therefore, there are no cache hits, and the hit ratio is 0%.