Enhanced pre-fetch in a memory management system

An article comprising:

• a memory management unit configured to:
• send page table walk requests to a page table descriptor in a main memory system and receive address translation information from the page table descriptor, the page table walk requests including information that specifies an amount of further address translation information, and
• receive the further address translation information from the page table descriptor;
• and a cache unit configured to:
• intercept the page table walk requests,
• modify content of the intercepted page table walk requests such that the information that specifies the amount of further address translation information is extended from a first amount to a second amount, the second amount being greater than the first amount,
• store the second amount of further address translation information for use in connection with data requests that are subsequent to a current data request, and
• provide the address translation information based upon an intercepted page table walk request being associated with address translation information already stored in the cache unit from a data request that is prior to the current data request.

A method of operating an electronic device comprising:

• configuring a memory management unit to receive data requests associated with virtual addresses from data request initiators and to translate the virtual addresses into physical addresses in a main memory system by:
• obtaining address translation information from an address translation look-aside buffer in the memory management unit,
• sending page table walk requests to a page table descriptor in the main memory system and receiving address translation information from the page table descriptor, with the page table requests including information that specifies an amount of further address translation information, and with the further address translation information being associated with data requests that are subsequent to a current data request, and
• receiving the further address translation information from the page table descriptor and storing the further address translation information for use in connection with data requests that are subsequent to a current data request;
• intercepting the page table walk requests, using a cache unit;
• modifying content of the intercepted PTW requests such that the information that specifies the amount of further address translation information is extended from a first amount to a second amount, the second amount being greater than the first amount, using the cache unit;
• storing the second amount of further address translation information in the cache unit;
• and
• providing the address translation information from the cache unit to the memory management unit based upon the intercepted page table walk request being associated with address translation information already stored in the cache unit.

A method comprising:

• sending page table walk requests to a page table descriptor in a main memory system and receive address translation information from the page table descriptor, the page table walk requests including information that specifies an amount of further address translation information, using a memory management unit;
• receiving the further address translation information from the page table descriptor, using the memory management unit;
• intercepting the page table walk requests, using a cache unit;
• modifying content of the intercepted page table walk requests such that the information that specifies the amount of further address translation information is extended from a first amount to a second amount, the second amount being greater than the first amount, using the cache unit;
• storing the second amount of further address translation information for use in connection with data requests that are subsequent to a current data request, using the cache unit;
• providing the address translation information based upon an intercepted page table walk request being associated with address translation information already stored in the cache unit from a data request that is prior to the current data request.