Timur Tabi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
> ** Reply to message from David Wragg <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> on 24 Jan 2001
> 00:50:20 +0000
> > (x86 processors with PAT and IA64 can set write-combining through
> >page flags. x86 processors with MTRRs but not PAT would need a more
> >elaborate implementation for write-combining.)
>
> What is PAT? I desperately need to figure out how to turn on write
> combining on a per-page level. I thought I had to use MTRRs, but now
> you're saying I can use this "PAT" thing instead. Please explain!
PAT is basically the MTRR memory types on a per-page basis. It adds a
new flag bit to the x86 page table entry, then that bit together with
the PCD and PWT bits is used to do a look-up in an 8-entry table that
gives the effective memory type (the table is set through an MSR).
All the details are in the Intel x86 manual, volume 3
<URL:http://developer.intel.com/design/pentium4/manuals/> (at the end
of chapter 9).
Quite a lot of the x86 CPUs out there support PAT: The PII except the
first couple of models, the Celeron except the first model, the PIII,
all PII and PIII Xeons, the P4, all AMD K7 models. I'm guessing, but
I suspect that the majority of x86 CPUs supporting write combining in
any form that have been made also support PAT.
I wish Intel had put PAT in the PPro, rather than messing everyone
around with MTRRs (MTRRs are good for BIOS writers, but a pain for
everyone else).
David Wragg
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