Memory subsystems having look-ahead instruction prefetch buffers and intelligent posted write buffers for increasing the throughput of digital computer systems
US5524220A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 31, 1994 |
| Grant date | Jun 4, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 31, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/3834
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A digital computer system including a memory subsystem thereof for increasing the throughput of the digital computer system is disclosed, comprising a central processing unit (CPU), a main memory, and a Look-ahead Instruction Prefetch Buffer (LIPB) external to the CPU for prefetching at least one portion of instruction code from the main memory each time the CPU initiates a request for instruction code from the main memory and for accelerating the submission of the portion of instruction code to said CPU means upon request by said CPU means without a memory system delay that is usually required when accessing a larger number of memory locations in the main memory each time the CPU initiates an instruction code request. An intelligent posted write buffer (IPWB) is also provided for temporarily storing in a first-in first-out (FIFO) configuration a portion of write-to-memory data generated by the CPU executing a write operation and for subsequently applying the portion of write-to-memory data to the main memory thereby eliminating a possible stall incurred by the CPU while waiting for the write operation to be completed.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.