Cache Memory Simulator

A desktop application built with Python and Tkinter that emulates different cache memory configurations, mapping techniques, and replacement/write policies.

📌 Description

This project simulates the behavior of various cache memory architectures and policies to help understand their impact on memory access performance.

The simulator supports:

• Direct-mapped cache
• Fully associative cache
• Set-associative cache (configurable ways)
• Replacement policies: Least Recently Used (LRU), First-In-First-Out (FIFO), and Random
• Write policies: Write-Back and Write-Through
• Performance metrics: Cache hit/miss rate

🧠 Features

• Desktop GUI using Tkinter
• Custom cache configuration (size, block size, mapping type, policies)
• Dynamic visualization of cache and main memory state
• Read and write operations with real-time cache updates
• Statistics tracking for hits and misses
• Displays tag, valid and dirty bits for each cache line

🔧 Technologies Used

• Python 3.10+
• Tkinter (GUI)
• Object-Oriented Programming
• Simulation algorithms for cache mapping and replacement
• Data structures: lists, sets, dictionaries

🏗️ Project Structure

• cache/ – core cache functionality (Cache, Line, MainMemory)
• mappings/ – implementations for direct, set-associative, and fully associative mapping
• replacement_policies/ – strategy modules: LRU, FIFO, Random
• write_policies/ – logic for Write-Back and Write-Through
• gui/ – Tkinter-based interface (SimulatorFrame)
• utils/ – helpers for formatting, performance calculation

🖥️ User Interface

The application provides:

• A configuration panel for:
  • Cache type selection
  • Block/cache size
  • Replacement and write policies
• Buttons to start simulation, read data, write data
• Live view of memory blocks and cache lines
• Dashboard showing hit/miss stats

📈 Performance Metrics

• Hit Rate: Percentage of memory accesses served from cache
• Miss Rate: Percentage of memory accesses served from main memory
• Live counters updated during each operation

🚀 Future Improvements

• Add support for trace file imports
• Enable cache flush and reset operations
• Export stats to CSV or Excel
• Add animations for memory block movement
• Improve layout and styling with custom themes

📚 References

• GeeksForGeeks – Cache Mapping Techniques
• Wikipedia – Cache Memory
• TechTarget – Cache Memory
• Javatpoint – Cache Memory
• Medium – Cache Simulator
• Redis Glossary – Cache Memory
• YouTube – Python Cache Simulator
• UW CSE – Cache Simulator

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