Speculative register file for storing speculative register state

Details Speculative register file for storing speculative register state Speculative register file for storing speculative register state

1997-06-20

1999-04-06

Treat, William M.

395388, 395389, 39580023, G06F 938

Patent

active

058929363

ABSTRACT:
A superscalar microprocessor configured to speculatively generate register values associated with a particular register is provided. Multiple register values are generated in parallel, wherein each speculatively generated register value accounts for modifications of the register value by each of the instructions prior to the instruction for which the register value is generated. Instructions which are dependent upon each other for the register values thus generated may be executed concurrently. In one specific embodiment, the present microprocessor generates register values for the ESP register. The speculatively generated register value resulting from the modifications performed by the instructions decoded during a clock cycle is stored in a speculative register file along with constants used to generate the register value associated with each individual instruction. When a mispredicted branch instruction is detected, the register value generated during the decode of the mispredicted branch instruction may be adjusted using the stored constants. The adjustment performed reflects the value of the register at the execution of the mispredicted branch instruction.

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