Commercial and Industrial Temperature Range
IDT 70V27S/L
High-Speed 3.3V 32K x 16 Dual-Port Static RAM
19
D
3603 drw 1
0
D
Q
WRITE
D
0
D
Q
WRITE
SEMAPHORE
REQUEST FLIP FLOP
SEMAPHORE
REQUEST FLIP FLOP
LPORT
RPORT
SEMAPHORE
READ
SEMAPHORE
READ
The semaphore flags are active low. A token is requested by writing
a zero into a semaphore latch and is released when the same side writes
a one to that latch.
The eight semaphore flags reside within the IDT70V27 in a separate
memory space from the Dual-Port RAM. This address space is accessed
by placing a low input on the SEM pin (which acts as a chip select for the
semaphore flags) and using the other control pins (Address, OE, and
R/W) as they would be used in accessing a standard Static RAM. Each
of the flags has a unique address which can be accessed by either side
through address pins A0 – A2. When accessing the semaphores, none of
the other address pins has any effect.
When writing to a semaphore, only data pin D0 is used. If a low level
is written into an unused semaphore location, that flag will be set to a zero
on that side and a one on the other side (see Table VI). That semaphore
can now only be modified by the side showing the zero. When a one is
written into the same location from the same side, the flag will be set to a
one for both sides (unless a semaphore request from the other side is
pending) and then can be written to by both sides. The fact that the side
which is able to write a zero into a semaphore subsequently locks out writes
from the other side is what makes semaphore flags useful in interprocessor
communications. (A thorough discussion on the use of this feature follows
shortly.) A zero written into the same location from the other side will be
stored in the semaphore request latch for that side until the semaphore is
freed by the first side.
When a semaphore flag is read, its value is spread into all data bits so
that a flag that is a one reads as a one in all data bits and a flag containing
a zero reads as all zeros. The read value is latched into one side’s output
register when that side's semaphore select (SEM) and output enable (OE)
signals go active. This serves to disallow the semaphore from changing
state in the middle of a read cycle due to a write cycle from the other side.
Because of this latch, a repeated read of a semaphore in a test loop must
cause either signal (SEM or OE) to go inactive or the output will never
change.
A sequence WRITE/READ must be used by the semaphore in order
to guarantee that no system level contention will occur. A processor
requests access to shared resources by attempting to write a zero into a
semaphore location. If the semaphore is already in use, the semaphore
request latch will contain a zero, yet the semaphore flag will appear as a
one, a fact which the processor will verify by the subsequent read (see
Table VI). As an example, assume a processor writes a zero to the left port
at a free semaphore location. On a subsequent read, the processor will
verify that it has written successfully to that location and will assume control
over the resource in question. Meanwhile, if a processor on the right side
attempts to write a zero to the same semaphore flag it will fail, as will be
verified by the fact that a one will be read from that semaphore on the right
side during the subsequent read. Had a sequence of READ/WRITE been
used instead, system contention problems could have occurred during the
gap between the read and write cycles.
It is important to note that a failed semaphore request must be followed
by either repeated reads or by writing a one into the same location. The
Figure 4. IDT70V27 Semaphore Logic
reason for this is easily understood by looking at the simple logic diagram
of the semaphore flag in Figure 4. Two semaphore request latches feed
into a semaphore flag. Whichever latch is first to present a zero to the
semaphore flag will force its side of the semaphore flag low and the other
side high. This condition will continue until a one is written to the same
semaphore request latch. Should the other side’s semaphore request latch
have been written to a zero in the meantime, the semaphore flag will flip
over to the other side as soon as a one is written into the first side’s request
latch. The second side’s flag will now stay low until its semaphore request
latch is written to a one. From this it is easy to understand that, if a semaphore
is requested and the processor which requested it no longer needs the
resource, the entire system can hang up until a one is written into that
semaphore request latch.
The critical case of semaphore timing is when both sides request a
single token by attempting to write a zero into it at the same time. The
semaphore logic is specially designed to resolve this problem. If simulta-
neous requests are made, the logic guarantees that only one side receives
the token. If one side is earlier than the other in making the request, the first
side to make the request will receive the token. If both requests arrive at
the same time, the assignment will be arbitrarily made to one port or the
other.
One caution that should be noted when using semaphores is that
semaphores alone do not guarantee that access to a resource is secure.
As with any powerful programming technique, if semaphores are misused
or misinterpreted, a software error can easily happen.
Initialization of the semaphores is not automatic and must be handled
via the initialization program at power-up. Since any semaphore request
flag which contains a zero must be reset to a one, all semaphores on both
sides should have a one written into them at initialization from both sides
to assure that they will be free when needed.
