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==== Processor-Internal Instruction Cache (iCACHE)

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|=======================

| Hardware source file(s): | neorv32_icache.vhd |

| Software driver file(s): | none             | _implicitly used_

| Top entity port:         | none             |

| Configuration generics:  | _ICACHE_EN_ | implement processor-internal instruction cache when _true_

|                          | _ICACHE_NUM_BLOCKS_ | number of cache blocks (pages/lines)

|                          | _ICACHE_BLOCK_SIZE_ | size of a cache block in bytes

|                          | _ICACHE_ASSOCIATIVITY_ | associativity / number of sets

| CPU interrupts:          | none             |

|=======================

The processor features an optional cache for instructions to compensate memories with high latency. The

cache is directly connected to the CPU's instruction fetch interface and provides a full-transparent buffering

of instruction fetch accesses to the entire 4GB address space.

[IMPORTANT]

The instruction cache is intended to accelerate instruction fetch via the external memory interface.

Since all processor-internal memories provide an access latency of one cycle (by default), caching

internal memories does not bring any performance gain. However, it _might_ reduce traffic on the

processor-internal bus.

The cache is implemented if the _ICACHE_EN_ generic is true. The size of the cache memory is defined via

_ICACHE_BLOCK_SIZE_ (the size of a single cache block/page/line in bytes; has to be a power of two and >=

4 bytes), _ICACHE_NUM_BLOCKS_ (the total amount of cache blocks; has to be a power of two and >= 1) and

the actual cache associativity _ICACHE_ASSOCIATIVITY_ (number of sets; 1 = direct-mapped, 2 = 2-way set-associative,

has to be a power of two and >= 1).

If the cache associativity (_ICACHE_ASSOCIATIVITY_) is > 1 the LRU replacement policy (least recently

used) is used.

[TIP]

Keep the features of the targeted FPGA's memory resources (block RAM) in mind when configuring

the cache size/layout to maximize and optimize resource utilization.

By executing the `ifence.i` instruction (`Zifencei` CPU extension) the cache is cleared and a reload from

main memory is forced. Among other things, this allows to implement self-modifying code.

**Bus Access Fault Handling**

The cache always loads a complete cache block (_ICACHE_BLOCK_SIZE_ bytes) aligned to the size of a cache

block if a miss is detected. If any of the accessed addresses within a single block do not successfully

acknowledge (i.e. issuing an error signal or timing out) the whole cache block is invalidate and any access to

an address within this cache block will also raise an instruction fetch bus error fault exception.