Transitioning from instruction cache to trace cache on label...

Details Transitioning from instruction cache to trace cache on label... Transitioning from instruction cache to trace cache on label...

2003-12-03

2011-11-29

Fennema, Robert (Department: 2183)

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: processing

Instruction fetching

Prefetching

Reexamination Certificate

active

08069336

ABSTRACT:
Various embodiments of methods and systems for implementing a microprocessor that includes a trace cache and attempts to transition fetching from instruction cache to trace cache only on label boundaries are disclosed. In one embodiment, a microprocessor may include an instruction cache, a branch prediction unit, and a trace cache. The prefetch unit may fetch instructions from the instruction cache until the branch prediction unit outputs a predicted target address for a branch instruction. When the branch prediction unit outputs a predicted target address, the prefetch unit may check for an entry matching the predicted target address in the trace cache. If a match is found, the prefetch unit may fetch one or more traces from the trace cache in lieu of fetching instructions from the instruction cache.

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