Data processor with programmable levels of speculative instruction fetching and method of operation
US5553255A · kind A · utility
67Cited by
10References
6Claims
0Family size
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Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 27, 1995 |
| Grant date | Sep 3, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 27, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/3858
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A data processor (12) has a branch prediction unit (28) that predicts conditional branch instructions and a control unit (70) therein that monitors the number of unresolved branch instructions. This control unit selectively allows the data processor to fetch the instructions indicated by the branch prediction unit from an external memory system depending upon the number of unresolved branch instructions. The particular threshold number of unresolved branch instructions is user programmable. The data processor thereby limits its bus accesses to those occasions when it is reasonably sure that it will need the indicated instructions.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.