Zero overhead loop
AssigneeBroadcom Corporation
InventorsTariq KURD, John REDFORD, Geoffrey BARRETT
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for zero overheard loops is provided herein. The method includes the steps of identifying, by a decoder, a loop instruction and identifying, by the decoder, a last instruction in a loop body that corresponds to the loop instruction. The method further includes the steps of generating, by the decoder, a branch instruction that returns execution to a beginning of the loop body, and enqueing, by the decoder, the branch instruction into a branch reservation queue concurrently with an enqueing of the last instruction in a reservation queue.
Claims20
A method in a processor, comprising:
- identifying, by a decoder, a loop instruction;
- identifying, by the decoder, a last instruction in a loop body that corresponds to the loop instruction;
- generating, by the decoder, a branch instruction that returns execution to a beginning of the loop body;
- and
- enqueing, by the decoder, the branch instruction into a branch reservation queue concurrently with an enqueing of the last instruction in a reservation queue.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a decoder configured to identify a loop instruction, identify a last instruction in a loop body corresponding to the loop instruction,generate a branch instruction that returns execution to a beginning of the loop body, and enqueue the branch instruction into a branch reservation queue concurrently with an enqueing of the last instruction in a reservation queue.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.