Responding to branch misprediction for predicated-loop-terminating branch instruction
US11693666B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 20, 2021 |
| Grant date | Jul 4, 2023 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 20, 2041 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/38585
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A predicated-loop-terminating branch instruction controls, based on whether a loop termination condition is satisfied, whether the processing circuitry should process a further iteration of a predicated loop body or process a following instruction. If at least one unnecessary iteration of the predicated loop body is processed following a mispredicted-non-termination branch misprediction when the loop termination condition is mispredicted as unsatisfied for a given iteration when it should have been satisfied, processing of the at least one unnecessary iteration of the predicated loop body is predicated to suppress an effect of the at least one unnecessary iteration. When the mispredicted-non-termination branch misprediction is detected for the given iteration of the predicated-loop-terminating branch instruction, in response to determining that a flush suppressing condition is satisfied, flushing of the at least one unnecessary iteration of the predicated loop body is suppressed as a response to the mispredicted-non-termination branch misprediction.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.