Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Method and apparatus to control the use of hierarchical branch predictors based on the effectiveness of their results
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Application No.: US16565476Application Date: 2019-09-09
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Publication No.: US11113063B2Publication Date: 2021-09-07
- Inventor: James David Dundas , Xiaoxin Fan , Shashank Nemawarkar , Madhu Saravana Sibi Govindan
- Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicant Address: KR Suwon-si
- Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Current Assignee Address: KR Suwon-si
- Agency: Renaissance IP Law Group LLP
- Main IPC: G06F9/32
- IPC: G06F9/32 ; G06F9/34 ; G06F9/38 ; H04L9/06 ; G06F12/1027 ; G06F9/44 ; G06F9/46

Abstract:
According to one general aspect, an apparatus may include a main-branch target buffer (BTB). The apparatus may include a micro-BTB separate from and smaller than the main-BTB, and configured to produce prediction information associated with a branching instruction. The apparatus may include a micro-BTB confidence counter configured to measure a correctness of the prediction information produced by the micro-BTB. The apparatus may further include a micro-BTB misprediction rate counter configured to measure a rate of mispredictions produced by the micro-BTB. The apparatus may also include a micro-BTB enablement circuit configured to enable a usage of the micro-BTB's prediction information, based, at least in part, upon the values of the micro-BTB confidence counter and the micro-BTB misprediction rate counter.
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