Processor configured to detect program phase changes and to adap

Details Processor configured to detect program phase changes and to adap Processor configured to detect program phase changes and to adap

1998-04-06

2000-04-25

Coleman, Eric

Error detection/correction and fault detection/recovery

Data processing system error or fault handling

Reliability and availability

710 15, G06F 1130

Patent

active

060556501

ABSTRACT:
A phase change monitor monitors one or more processor resources to detect a phase change in the program being executed. The phase change monitor signals a prefetch unit to indicate the detected phase change, and may also provide information regarding the phase being entered (as detected by the phase change monitor). The prefetch unit is configured to selectively prefetch in response to the detected phase changes. Prefetching may be tailored to the detected phases. The prefetch unit may disable a current prefetch generated during a previous phase upon detection of the phase change, and a new prefetch may be initiated for the phase being entered. Since the phase being entered may operate upon different data sets, the current prefetch may be less likely to be prefetching data which is subsequently accessed. Terminating the current prefetch upon detection of a phase change may reduce the number of prefetches which are no subsequently accessed. Accordingly, bandwidth to external memory is not consumed by the unused prefetches and hence may be available for other memory operations.

REFERENCES:
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PowerPC.TM. Microprocessor Developer's Guide, pp. 212-213, published 1995 by SAMS Publishing, Indianapolis, Indiana.

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