Prefetch buffer method and apparatus
AssigneeAnalog Devices, Inc.
InventorsThomas A. Volpe, Michael S. Allen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus are provided for supplying data to a processor in a digital processing system. The method includes holding data required by the processor in a chache memory, supplying data from the cache memory to the processor in response to processor requests, performing a cache line fill operation in response to a chache miss, supplying data from a prefetch buffer to the cache memory in response to the cache line fill operation, and speculatively loading data from a lower level memory to the prefetch buffer in response to the cache line fill operation.
Claims41
A digital processing system comprising:
- a processor for executing instructions;
- a cache memory system, including a cache memory, for holding data required by the processor and for performing a cache line fill operation in response to a cache miss;
- a prefetch buffer;
- and
- control logic for supplying data from the prefetch buffer to the cache memory in response to the cache line fill operation and for speculatively loading data from a lower level memory to the prefetch buffer in response to the cache line fill operation.
A method for supplying data to a processor in a digital processing system, comprising:
- holding data required by the processor in a cache memory:
- supplying data from the cache memory to the processor in response to processor requests;
- performing a cache line fill operation in response to a cache miss;
- supplying data from a prefetch buffer to the cache memory in response to the cache line fill operation;
- and
- speculatively loading data from a lower level memory to the prefetch buffer in response to the cache line fill operation.
A digital processing system comprising:
- a data requester for issuing a data request;
- a prefetch buffer;
- and
- control logic for supplying data from the prefetch buffer to the data requestor in response to the data request and for prefetching data from a memory to the prefetch buffer in response to the data request.
A digital processing system comprising:
- a data requestor for issuing a data request;
- a prefetch buffer;
- and
- control logic for supplying data from the prefetch buffer to the data requestor in response to the data request and for speculatively loading data from a memory to the prefetch buffer in response to a hit in the prefetch buffer or a miss in the prefetch buffer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.