Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Processor with variable pre-fetch threshold
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Application No.: US17550572Application Date: 2021-12-14
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Publication No.: US11861367B2Publication Date: 2024-01-02
- Inventor: Christian Wiencke , Johann Zipperer
- Applicant: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
- Applicant Address: US TX Dallas
- Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
- Current Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
- Current Assignee Address: US TX Dallas
- Agent Brian D. Graham; Frank D. Cimino
- Main IPC: G06F9/38
- IPC: G06F9/38 ; G06F9/30

Abstract:
A method and apparatus for controlling pre-fetching in a processor. A processor includes an execution pipeline and an instruction pre-fetch unit. The execution pipeline is configured to execute instructions. The instruction pre-fetch unit is coupled to the execution pipeline. The instruction pre-fetch unit includes instruction storage to store pre-fetched instructions, and pre-fetch control logic. The pre-fetch control logic is configured to fetch instructions from memory and store the fetched instructions in the instruction storage. The pre-fetch control logic is also configured to provide instructions stored in the instruction storage to the execution pipeline for execution. The pre-fetch control logic is further configured set a maximum number of instruction words to be pre-fetched for execution subsequent to execution of an instruction currently being executed in the execution pipeline. The maximum number is based on a value contained in a pre-fetch threshold field of an instruction executed in the execution pipeline.
Public/Granted literature
- US20220100522A1 PROCESSOR WITH VARIABLE PRE-FETCH THRESHOLD Public/Granted day:2022-03-31
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