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Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/x86')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/x86/00-INDEX | 4 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/x86/mtrr.txt | 305 |
2 files changed, 309 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/x86/00-INDEX b/Documentation/x86/00-INDEX new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..dbe3377754af --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/x86/00-INDEX @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +00-INDEX + - this file +mtrr.txt + - how to use x86 Memory Type Range Registers to increase performance diff --git a/Documentation/x86/mtrr.txt b/Documentation/x86/mtrr.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000000..cc071dc333c2 --- /dev/null +++ b/Documentation/x86/mtrr.txt @@ -0,0 +1,305 @@ +MTRR (Memory Type Range Register) control +3 Jun 1999 +Richard Gooch +<rgooch@atnf.csiro.au> + + On Intel P6 family processors (Pentium Pro, Pentium II and later) + the Memory Type Range Registers (MTRRs) may be used to control + processor access to memory ranges. This is most useful when you have + a video (VGA) card on a PCI or AGP bus. Enabling write-combining + allows bus write transfers to be combined into a larger transfer + before bursting over the PCI/AGP bus. This can increase performance + of image write operations 2.5 times or more. + + The Cyrix 6x86, 6x86MX and M II processors have Address Range + Registers (ARRs) which provide a similar functionality to MTRRs. For + these, the ARRs are used to emulate the MTRRs. + + The AMD K6-2 (stepping 8 and above) and K6-3 processors have two + MTRRs. These are supported. The AMD Athlon family provide 8 Intel + style MTRRs. + + The Centaur C6 (WinChip) has 8 MCRs, allowing write-combining. These + are supported. + + The VIA Cyrix III and VIA C3 CPUs offer 8 Intel style MTRRs. + + The CONFIG_MTRR option creates a /proc/mtrr file which may be used + to manipulate your MTRRs. Typically the X server should use + this. This should have a reasonably generic interface so that + similar control registers on other processors can be easily + supported. + + +There are two interfaces to /proc/mtrr: one is an ASCII interface +which allows you to read and write. The other is an ioctl() +interface. The ASCII interface is meant for administration. The +ioctl() interface is meant for C programs (i.e. the X server). The +interfaces are described below, with sample commands and C code. + +=============================================================================== +Reading MTRRs from the shell: + +% cat /proc/mtrr +reg00: base=0x00000000 ( 0MB), size= 128MB: write-back, count=1 +reg01: base=0x08000000 ( 128MB), size= 64MB: write-back, count=1 +=============================================================================== +Creating MTRRs from the C-shell: +# echo "base=0xf8000000 size=0x400000 type=write-combining" >! /proc/mtrr +or if you use bash: +# echo "base=0xf8000000 size=0x400000 type=write-combining" >| /proc/mtrr + +And the result thereof: +% cat /proc/mtrr +reg00: base=0x00000000 ( 0MB), size= 128MB: write-back, count=1 +reg01: base=0x08000000 ( 128MB), size= 64MB: write-back, count=1 +reg02: base=0xf8000000 (3968MB), size= 4MB: write-combining, count=1 + +This is for video RAM at base address 0xf8000000 and size 4 megabytes. To +find out your base address, you need to look at the output of your X +server, which tells you where the linear framebuffer address is. A +typical line that you may get is: + +(--) S3: PCI: 968 rev 0, Linear FB @ 0xf8000000 + +Note that you should only use the value from the X server, as it may +move the framebuffer base address, so the only value you can trust is +that reported by the X server. + +To find out the size of your framebuffer (what, you don't actually +know?), the following line will tell you: + +(--) S3: videoram: 4096k + +That's 4 megabytes, which is 0x400000 bytes (in hexadecimal). +A patch is being written for XFree86 which will make this automatic: +in other words the X server will manipulate /proc/mtrr using the +ioctl() interface, so users won't have to do anything. If you use a +commercial X server, lobby your vendor to add support for MTRRs. +=============================================================================== +Creating overlapping MTRRs: + +%echo "base=0xfb000000 size=0x1000000 type=write-combining" >/proc/mtrr +%echo "base=0xfb000000 size=0x1000 type=uncachable" >/proc/mtrr + +And the results: cat /proc/mtrr +reg00: base=0x00000000 ( 0MB), size= 64MB: write-back, count=1 +reg01: base=0xfb000000 (4016MB), size= 16MB: write-combining, count=1 +reg02: base=0xfb000000 (4016MB), size= 4kB: uncachable, count=1 + +Some cards (especially Voodoo Graphics boards) need this 4 kB area +excluded from the beginning of the region because it is used for +registers. + +NOTE: You can only create type=uncachable region, if the first +region that you created is type=write-combining. +=============================================================================== +Removing MTRRs from the C-shell: +% echo "disable=2" >! /proc/mtrr +or using bash: +% echo "disable=2" >| /proc/mtrr +=============================================================================== +Reading MTRRs from a C program using ioctl()'s: + +/* mtrr-show.c + + Source file for mtrr-show (example program to show MTRRs using ioctl()'s) + + Copyright (C) 1997-1998 Richard Gooch + + This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify + it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by + the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or + (at your option) any later version. + + This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, + but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of + MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the + GNU General Public License for more details. + + You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License + along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software + Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. + + Richard Gooch may be reached by email at rgooch@atnf.csiro.au + The postal address is: + Richard Gooch, c/o ATNF, P. O. Box 76, Epping, N.S.W., 2121, Australia. +*/ + +/* + This program will use an ioctl() on /proc/mtrr to show the current MTRR + settings. This is an alternative to reading /proc/mtrr. + + + Written by Richard Gooch 17-DEC-1997 + + Last updated by Richard Gooch 2-MAY-1998 + + +*/ +#include <stdio.h> +#include <stdlib.h> +#include <string.h> +#include <sys/types.h> +#include <sys/stat.h> +#include <fcntl.h> +#include <sys/ioctl.h> +#include <errno.h> +#include <asm/mtrr.h> + +#define TRUE 1 +#define FALSE 0 +#define ERRSTRING strerror (errno) + +static char *mtrr_strings[MTRR_NUM_TYPES] = +{ + "uncachable", /* 0 */ + "write-combining", /* 1 */ + "?", /* 2 */ + "?", /* 3 */ + "write-through", /* 4 */ + "write-protect", /* 5 */ + "write-back", /* 6 */ +}; + +int main () +{ + int fd; + struct mtrr_gentry gentry; + + if ( ( fd = open ("/proc/mtrr", O_RDONLY, 0) ) == -1 ) + { + if (errno == ENOENT) + { + fputs ("/proc/mtrr not found: not supported or you don't have a PPro?\n", + stderr); + exit (1); + } + fprintf (stderr, "Error opening /proc/mtrr\t%s\n", ERRSTRING); + exit (2); + } + for (gentry.regnum = 0; ioctl (fd, MTRRIOC_GET_ENTRY, &gentry) == 0; + ++gentry.regnum) + { + if (gentry.size < 1) + { + fprintf (stderr, "Register: %u disabled\n", gentry.regnum); + continue; + } + fprintf (stderr, "Register: %u base: 0x%lx size: 0x%lx type: %s\n", + gentry.regnum, gentry.base, gentry.size, + mtrr_strings[gentry.type]); + } + if (errno == EINVAL) exit (0); + fprintf (stderr, "Error doing ioctl(2) on /dev/mtrr\t%s\n", ERRSTRING); + exit (3); +} /* End Function main */ +=============================================================================== +Creating MTRRs from a C programme using ioctl()'s: + +/* mtrr-add.c + + Source file for mtrr-add (example programme to add an MTRRs using ioctl()) + + Copyright (C) 1997-1998 Richard Gooch + + This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify + it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by + the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or + (at your option) any later version. + + This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, + but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of + MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the + GNU General Public License for more details. + + You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License + along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software + Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. + + Richard Gooch may be reached by email at rgooch@atnf.csiro.au + The postal address is: + Richard Gooch, c/o ATNF, P. O. Box 76, Epping, N.S.W., 2121, Australia. +*/ + +/* + This programme will use an ioctl() on /proc/mtrr to add an entry. The first + available mtrr is used. This is an alternative to writing /proc/mtrr. + + + Written by Richard Gooch 17-DEC-1997 + + Last updated by Richard Gooch 2-MAY-1998 + + +*/ +#include <stdio.h> +#include <string.h> +#include <stdlib.h> +#include <unistd.h> +#include <sys/types.h> +#include <sys/stat.h> +#include <fcntl.h> +#include <sys/ioctl.h> +#include <errno.h> +#include <asm/mtrr.h> + +#define TRUE 1 +#define FALSE 0 +#define ERRSTRING strerror (errno) + +static char *mtrr_strings[MTRR_NUM_TYPES] = +{ + "uncachable", /* 0 */ + "write-combining", /* 1 */ + "?", /* 2 */ + "?", /* 3 */ + "write-through", /* 4 */ + "write-protect", /* 5 */ + "write-back", /* 6 */ +}; + +int main (int argc, char **argv) +{ + int fd; + struct mtrr_sentry sentry; + + if (argc != 4) + { + fprintf (stderr, "Usage:\tmtrr-add base size type\n"); + exit (1); + } + sentry.base = strtoul (argv[1], NULL, 0); + sentry.size = strtoul (argv[2], NULL, 0); + for (sentry.type = 0; sentry.type < MTRR_NUM_TYPES; ++sentry.type) + { + if (strcmp (argv[3], mtrr_strings[sentry.type]) == 0) break; + } + if (sentry.type >= MTRR_NUM_TYPES) + { + fprintf (stderr, "Illegal type: \"%s\"\n", argv[3]); + exit (2); + } + if ( ( fd = open ("/proc/mtrr", O_WRONLY, 0) ) == -1 ) + { + if (errno == ENOENT) + { + fputs ("/proc/mtrr not found: not supported or you don't have a PPro?\n", + stderr); + exit (3); + } + fprintf (stderr, "Error opening /proc/mtrr\t%s\n", ERRSTRING); + exit (4); + } + if (ioctl (fd, MTRRIOC_ADD_ENTRY, &sentry) == -1) + { + fprintf (stderr, "Error doing ioctl(2) on /dev/mtrr\t%s\n", ERRSTRING); + exit (5); + } + fprintf (stderr, "Sleeping for 5 seconds so you can see the new entry\n"); + sleep (5); + close (fd); + fputs ("I've just closed /proc/mtrr so now the new entry should be gone\n", + stderr); +} /* End Function main */ +=============================================================================== |