Electrical computers and digital processing systems: processing – Processing architecture – Superscalar
Patent
1998-09-15
2000-01-11
Donaghue, Larry D.
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: processing
Processing architecture
Superscalar
712243, 712228, 712229, G06F 938
Patent
active
060147342
ABSTRACT:
A microprocessor 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 microprocessor may continue to predict return addresses correctly following a mispredicted branch instruction.
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Mahalingaiah Rupaka
Tran Thang M.
Advanced Micro Devices , Inc.
Donaghue Larry D.
Kivlin B. Noel
Merkel Lawrence J.
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