Branch prediction mechanism including a branch prediction...

Details Branch prediction mechanism including a branch prediction... Branch prediction mechanism including a branch prediction...

2004-09-14

2010-11-16

Chan, Eddie P (Department: 2183)

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: processing

Processing control

Branching

C712S240000, C712S234000, C712S237000

Reexamination Certificate

active

07836288

ABSTRACT:
A data processing system2incorporating an instruction pipeline14and a prefetch unit16is provided with a branch prediction mechanism using both a branch prediction memory20storing 1-bit values indicating strongly taken or strongly not taken together with a branch prediction cache indicating for certain selected branch history values either weakly taken or weakly not taken predictions. When a conditional branch instruction is encountered, then the preceding branch prediction history is used to access a first prediction within the branch prediction memory20and is looked up to check for a hit within the branch prediction cache22. If a hit occurs, then a second prediction within the branch prediction cache22is used in preference to the first prediction, otherwise the first prediction is used. The misprediction by a first prediction value stored within the branch prediction memory20triggers a second prediction to be cached within the branch prediction cache22corresponding to that mispredicted history value.

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