US 11,442,727 B2 · Controlling prediction functional blocks used by a branch predictor in a processor

Abstract

An electronic device includes a processor, a branch predictor in the processor, and a predictor controller in the processor. The branch predictor includes multiple prediction functional blocks, each prediction functional block configured for generating predictions for control transfer instructions (CTIs) in program code based on respective prediction information, the branch predictor configured to select, from among predictions generated by the prediction functional blocks for each CTI, a selected prediction to be used for that CTI. The predictor controller keeps a record of prediction functional blocks from which the branch predictor previously selected predictions for CTIs. The predictor controller uses information from the record for controlling which prediction functional blocks are used by the branch predictor for generating predictions for CTIs.

Claims30

Dependent claims

An electronic device, comprising:

a processor;
a branch predictor in the processor, the branch predictor including multiple prediction functional blocks, each prediction functional block configured for generating predictions for control transfer instructions (CTIs) based on respective prediction information;
and
a predictor controller in the processor that stores a record of prediction functional blocks from which the branch predictor previously selected predictions for CTIs, the predictor controller configured to use information from the record for controlling which prediction functional blocks are used by the branch predictor for generating predictions for CTIs, the controlling including using only prediction functional blocks from which the record indicates the branch predictor previously selected predictions for generating predictions for CTIs.

1 more element

A method for making predictions for control transfer instructions (CTIs) in an electronic device that includes a processor;

a branch predictor in the processor, the branch predictor including multiple prediction functional blocks, each prediction functional block configured for generating predictions for control transfer instructions (CTIs) based on respective prediction information;
and a predictor controller in the processor, the method comprising:
using, by the predictor controller, information from a record of prediction functional blocks from which the branch predictor previously selected predictions for CTIs for controlling which prediction functional blocks are used by the branch predictor for generating predictions for CTIs, the controlling including using only prediction functional blocks from which the record indicates the branch predictor previously selected predictions for generating predictions for CTIs.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Controlling prediction functional blocks used by a branch predictor in a processor

Life of this patent

Controlling prediction functional blocks used by a branch predictor in a processor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30