Reorder buffer having a future file for storing speculative inst

Details Reorder buffer having a future file for storing speculative inst Reorder buffer having a future file for storing speculative inst

1996-07-26

1999-02-16

Lall, Parshotam S.

395391, G06F 938

Patent

active

058729518

ABSTRACT:
A reorder buffer is configured into multiple lines of storage, wherein a line of storage includes sufficient storage for instruction results regarding a predefined maximum number of concurrently dispatchable instructions. A line of storage is allocated whenever one or more instructions are dispatched. A microprocessor employing the reorder buffer is also configured with fixed, symmetrical issue positions. The symmetrical nature of the issue positions may increase the average number of instructions to be concurrently dispatched and executed by the microprocessor. The average number of unused locations within the line decreases as the average number of concurrently dispatched instructions increases. One particular implementation of the reorder buffer includes a future file. The future file comprises a storage location corresponding to each register within the microprocessor. The reorder buffer tag (or instruction result, if the instruction has executed) of the last instruction in program order to update the register is stored in the future file.

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