Hello ARM experts:
In chapter K14.5.4 Ordering of Memory-mapped device control with payloads of ARMv8 reference manual(version:K.a), one of the example is:
• When a DMA peripheral has written to a buffer of data in memory, and the processing element is reading a status register to determine that the DMA transfer has completed, and then is reading the data.
It says "A DMB, or load-acquire, is not sufficient as this problem is not solely concerned with observation order, since the polling read is actually a read of a status register at a Completer, not the polling a data value that has been written by an observer."
So, for this case, the code is therefore:
P1 WAIT ([X4] == 1) ; X4 contains the address of the status register, ; and the value '1' indicates completion of the DMA transfer DSB <domain> LDR W5, [X2] ; reads data from the data buffer
But I think dmb is enough since dmb ensures no reordering.When P1 observes [4] = 1, it exits the loop and than reads data from the data buffer.
So what do I misunderstand？Thanks
Hi vstehle,
I have read the link. The link mentioned "other-multi-copy atomicity", but I didn't find the definiton in the Spec.
what is the difference between "multi-copy atomicity" and "other-multi-copy atomicity"?
The definition is (a bit hidden) in the Arm ARM:
B2.2.4 Requirements for multi-copy atomicity (..) The Arm memory model is Other-multi-copy atomic. Other-multi-copy atomic This is a Memory Write effect from an observer that, if observed by a different observer, is then observed by all other observers that access the location coherently.
B2.2.4 Requirements for multi-copy atomicity
(..) The Arm memory model is Other-multi-copy atomic.
Other-multi-copy atomic
This is a Memory Write effect from an observer that, if observed by a different observer, is then observed by all other observers that access the location coherently.
In multi-copy atomicity, even the writer is concerned.
If I understand Correctly,
multi-copy atomicity means a Memory Write effect from an observer that, if observed by a different observer, is then observed by all observers(including the observer which issues the write) that access the location coherently.
Another question, what does the "coherently" means? Can I assume that all the observers are in the same inner-shareable domian?