Specifications
Intel
®
 Quark SoC X1000 Core
October 2013 Developer’s Manual
Order Number: 329679-001US 157
Hardware Interface—Intel
®
 Quark Core
performing a code fetch, and that cycle is backed off (BOFF#), the Intel
®
 Quark SoC 
X1000 Core will recognize HOLD before restarting the cycle. The code fetch can be non-
cacheable or cacheable and non-burst or burst. The BREQ, HLDA, PCHK# and FERR# 
pins are not floated during bus hold. The Intel
®
 Quark SoC X1000 Core maintains its 
bus in this state until the HOLD is de-asserted. Refer to Section 10.3.9 for timing 
diagrams for bus hold cycles and HOLD request acknowledge during BOFF#.
The Intel
®
 Quark SoC X1000 Core recognizes HOLD during reset. Pull-up resistors are 
not provided for the outputs that are floated in response to HOLD. HOLD is active high 
and is not provided with an internal pull-down resistor. HOLD must satisfy setup and 
hold times t
18
 and t
19
 for proper chip operation.
9.2.9.3 Bus Hold Acknowledge Output (HLDA)
HLDA indicates that the Intel
®
 Quark SoC X1000 Core has given the bus to another 
local bus master. HLDA goes active in response to a hold request presented on the 
HOLD pin. HLDA is driven active in the same clock in which the Intel
®
 Quark SoC 
X1000 Core floats its bus.
HLDA is driven inactive when leaving bus hold, and the Intel
®
 Quark SoC X1000 Core 
resumes driving the bus. The Intel
®
 Quark SoC X1000 Core does not cease internal 
activity during bus hold because the internal cache satisfies the majority of bus 
requests. HLDA is active high and remains driven during bus hold.
9.2.9.4 Backoff Input (BOFF#)
Asserting the BOFF# input forces the Intel
®
 Quark SoC X1000 Core to release control 
of its bus in the next clock. The pins floated are exactly the same as those floated in 
response to HOLD. The response to BOFF# differs from the response to HOLD in two 
ways: First, the bus is floated immediately in response to BOFF#, whereas the Intel
®
Quark SoC X1000 Core completes the current bus cycle before floating its bus in 
response to HOLD. Second the Intel
®
 Quark SoC X1000 Core does not assert HLDA in 
response to BOFF#.
The Intel
®
 Quark SoC X1000 Core remains in bus hold until BOFF# is negated. Upon 
negation, the Intel
®
 Quark SoC X1000 Core restarts the bus cycle that was aborted 
when BOFF# was asserted. To the internal execution engine the effect of BOFF# is the 
same as inserting a few wait states to the original cycle. Refer to Section 10.3.12 for a 
description of bus cycle restart.
Any data returned to the Intel
®
 Quark SoC X1000 Core while BOFF# is asserted is 
ignored. BOFF# has higher priority than RDY# or BRDY#. If both BOFF# and ready are 
returned in the same clock, BOFF# takes effect. If BOFF# is asserted while the bus is 
idle, the Intel
®
 Quark SoC X1000 Core floats its bus in the next clock. BOFF# is active 
low and must meet setup and hold times t
18
 and t
19
 for proper chip operation.
9.2.10 Cache Invalidation
The AHOLD and EADS# inputs are used during cache invalidation cycles. AHOLD 
conditions the Intel
®
 Quark SoC X1000 Core address lines, A[31:4], to accept an 
address input. EADS# indicates that an external address is actually valid on the 
address inputs. Activating EADS# causes the Intel
®
 Quark SoC X1000 Core to read the 
external address bus and perform an internal cache invalidation cycle to the address 
indicated. Refer to Section 10.3.8 for cache invalidation cycle timing.










