Return address prediction system which adjusts the contents of r

Details Return address prediction system which adjusts the contents of r Return address prediction system which adjusts the contents of r

1995-10-30

1999-03-09

Lee, Thomas C.

395585, G06F 932

Patent

active

058812784

ABSTRACT:
A return prediction unit is provided which is configured to predict return addresses for return instructions according to a return stack storage included therein. The return stack storage is a stack structure configured to store return addresses associated with previously detected call instructions. Return addresses may be predicted for return instructions early in the instruction processing pipeline of the microprocessor. In one embodiment, the return stack storage additionally stores a call tag and a return tag with each return address. The call tag and return tag respectively identify call and return instructions associated with the return address. These tags may be compared to a branch tag conveyed to the return prediction unit upon detection of a branch misprediction. The results of the comparisons may be used to adjust the contents of the return stack storage with respect to the misprediction. The return prediction unit may continue to predict return addresses correctly following a mispredicted branch instruction.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4044338 (1977-08-01), Wolf
patent: 4453212 (1984-06-01), Gaither et al.
patent: 4504927 (1985-03-01), Callan
patent: 4807115 (1989-02-01), Torng
patent: 4858105 (1989-08-01), Kuriyama et al.
patent: 5136697 (1992-08-01), Johnson
patent: 5179673 (1993-01-01), Steely, Jr. et al.
patent: 5222220 (1993-06-01), Mehta
patent: 5226126 (1993-07-01), McFarland et al.
patent: 5226130 (1993-07-01), Favor et al.
patent: 5274817 (1993-12-01), Stahl
patent: 5313634 (1994-05-01), Eickemeyer
patent: 5339422 (1994-08-01), Brender et al.
patent: 5355459 (1994-10-01), Matsuo et al.
patent: 5454087 (1995-09-01), Narita et al.
patent: 5526498 (1996-06-01), Matsuo et al.
patent: 5564118 (1996-10-01), Steely, Jr. et al.
patent: 5574871 (1996-11-01), Hoyt et al.
patent: 5584001 (1996-12-01), Hoyt et al.
patent: 5604877 (1997-02-01), Hoyt et al.
patent: 5606682 (1997-02-01), McGarity
patent: 5623614 (1997-04-01), Van Dyke et al.
patent: 5649225 (1997-07-01), White et al.
patent: 5655098 (1997-08-01), Witt et al.
Intel, "Chapter 2: Microprocessor Architecture Overview," pp. 2-1 through 2-4.
Michael Slater, "AMD's K5 Designed to Outrun Pentium," Microprocessor Report, vol. 8, No. 14, Oct. 24, 1994, 7 pages.
Sebastian Rupley and John Clyman, "P6: The Next Step?," PC Magazine, Sep. 12, 1995, 16 pages.
Tom R. Halfhill, "AMD K6 Takes on Intel P6,"BYTE, Jan. 1996, 4 pages.
Dialog, Microprocessor Report, Oct. 24, 1994, pp. 1-7.
Foreign Search Report dated Feb. 26, 1997 for PCT/US96/11842.
Tomasula, R. M., "An Efficient Algorithm for Exploiting Multiple Arithmetic Units," IBM Journal, Jan. 1967, pp. 25-33.
Dialog, Microprocessor Report, Oct. 24, 1994, pp. 1-7.
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, "Subroutine Call/Return Stack," Apr. 30, 1988, vol. 30, No. 11, pp. 221-225.
IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, "Highly Accurate Subroutine Stack Prediction Mechnanism," Mar. 10, 1986, vol. 28, No. 10, pp. 4635-4637.
Yeh and Patt, "Branch History Table Indexing to Prevent Pipeline Bubbles in Wide-Issue Superscalar Processors," Dept. of Electrical Engineering, University of Michigan, An Arbor, 1993, pp. 164-175.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Return address prediction system which adjusts the contents of r does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Return address prediction system which adjusts the contents of r, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Return address prediction system which adjusts the contents of r will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1331077