Double-buffered data storage to reduce prefetch generation stalls

A method for generating memory prefetches in caching systems, comprising:

• generating prefetch addresses in response to addresses associated with memory read requests;
• storing the prefetch addresses in slots of the prefetch buffer, wherein each slot includes a buffer for storing a prefetch address, a first buffer and second buffer for storing data that is prefetched using the prefetch address stored in the slot, and a data buffer selector for alternating the designation of the first and second buffers;
• allocating a slot associated with the next predicted address in accordance with an order in which a prefetch FIFO counter is modified to cycle through the slots of the array before wrapping around to a first slot of the array for storing portions of predicted addresses;
• in the allocated slot, reading data from the first data buffer, and storing subsequent data from a subsequent prefetch operation having a subsequent prefetch address in the second data buffer before completing the operation of reading the data in the first buffer;
• and
• alternating the designation of the first and second buffers by modifying the state of the data buffer selector after the subsequent data has been stored in the second data buffer.