Fetch branch architecture for reducing branch penalty without branch prediction

A processor comprising:

• at least one execution unit;
• a decode unit;
• and
• a branch architecture for limiting branch penalty without branch prediction comprising:
• a fetch-branch unit operating in parallel with the decode unit and controlling retrieval of instructions for the decode unit, both the fetch-branch unit and the decode unit receiving the same instruction(s) during a given cycle, wherein the fetch-branch unit, upon detecting a branch instruction during one cycle,
• initiates retrieval to both the fetch-branch unit and the decode unit of at least one sequential instruction from a location immediately following a location of a last retrieved instruction during one of a first cycle immediately following the one cycle and a second cycle immediately following the first cycle, and
• initiates retrieval to both the fetch-branch unit and the decode unit of at least one target instruction from a target location for the branch instruction during the other of the first cycle immediately following the one cycle and the second cycle immediately following the first cycle.

For use in a processor, a method of processing branch instructions without branch prediction comprising:

• operating a fetch-branch unit in parallel with a decode unit to control retrieval of instructions for the decode unit, wherein the same instruction(s) are retrieved to bath the fetch-branch unit and the decode unit during a given cycle;
• and
• upon detecting a branch instruction during one cycle,
• initiating retrieval to both the fetch-branch unit and the decode unit of at least one sequential instruction from a location immediately following a location of a last retrieved instruction during one of a first cycle immediately following the one cycle and a second cycle immediately following the first cycle, and
• initiating retrieval to both the fetch-branch unit and the decode unit of at least one target instruction from a target location for the branch instruction during the other of the first cycle immediately following the one cycle and the second cycle immediately following the first cycle.