Multiple stride prefetching

A method of prefetching data values comprising:

• retrieving data values from addresses specified by load instructions for storage in a storage component;
• receiving the addresses specified by the load instructions;
• causing retrieval of a further data value from a further address before the further address is received, wherein causing the retrieval comprises:
• determining a stride value as a difference between a current address and a previously received address;
• determining a stride sequence comprising a plurality of stride values corresponding to a sequence of received addresses;
• storing the plurality of stride values determined;
• determining at least one cumulative stride value as a sum of at least two of the plurality of stride values stored;
• performing a comparison to determine whether the current address corresponds to a matching stride value based on the plurality of stride values stored;
• in response to receiving the current address, determining whether the at least one cumulative stride value is the matching stride value;
• and
• initiating a prefetch procedure to cause the further data value to be retrieved from the further address, wherein the further address is the current address modified by the matching stride value of the plurality of stride values.

Apparatus comprising:

• means for retrieving data values from addresses specified by load instructions for storage in a storage component;
• means for receiving the addresses specified by the load instructions;
• means for causing retrieval of a further data value from a further address before the further address is received, wherein the means for causing the retrieval comprises:
• means for determining a stride value as a difference between a current address and a previously received address;
• means for determining a stride sequence comprising a plurality of stride values corresponding to a sequence of received addresses;
• means for storing the plurality of stride values determined;
• means for determining at least one cumulative stride value as a sum of at least two of the plurality of stride values stored;
• means for performing a comparison to determine whether the current address corresponds to a matching stride value based on the plurality of stride values stored, wherein the means for performing a comparison is responsive to reception of the current address to determine whether the at least one cumulative stride value is the matching stride value;
• and
• means for initiating a prefetch procedure to cause the further data value to be retrieved from the further address, wherein the further address is the current address modified by the matching stride value of the plurality of stride values.