Processor performance profiling using trace actions

A processor comprising:

• an instruction processing unit configured to execute a software program including a plurality of machine-readable instructions;
• a hardware performance monitoring unit configured to provide first trace action indication signals in response to overflow of counters configured to count processing events occurring during execution of the software program;
• a trigger block configured to provide second trace action indication signals in response to matching of trigger conditions during execution of the software program;
• combinational logic configured to respectively combine the first trace action indication signals with the second trace action indication signals to produce combined trace action indication signals;
• and
• a trace encoder configured to:
• receive the combined trace action indication signals, and
• in response to the combined trace action indication signals, perform respective trace actions.

A method of operating a processor, the method comprising:

• executing, by an instruction processing unit, a software program that includes a plurality of machine-readable instructions;
• counting, by a hardware performance monitoring unit having a plurality of counters, respective processing events associated with execution of the software program;
• indicating, by the hardware performance monitoring unit in response to overflow of a counter of the plurality of counters, a respective counter-overflow trace action;
• and
• receiving, by a trace encoder, the indication of the respective counter-overflow trace action from the hardware performance monitoring unit;
• and
• performing, by the trace encoder in response to the indication of the respective counter-overflow trace action, the respective counter-overflow trace action.