Apparatus and method for predicting target storage unit

摘要

A data processing apparatus comprises processing circuitry and a plurality of storage units. When the processing circuitry executes a data access instruction, then a storage controller identifies based on a target storage address of the data access instruction, which of the storage units includes the target storage location identified by the target storage address. Prediction circuitry is provided to predict a predicted storage unit predicted to include the target storage location, so that retrieval of the data value from the predicted storage unit can be initiated before the storage controller has identified the target storage unit. The prediction circuitry makes the prediction based on the type of the data access instruction executed by the processing circuitry.

主权项

1. A data processing apparatus comprising:
processing circuitry configured to execute program instructions to process data; a plurality of storage units comprising storage locations addressable by storage addresses; a storage controller configured to control access to said plurality of storage units and when said processing circuitry executes a data access instruction to access a target storage location addressed by a target storage address, to identify, based on said target storage address, which of said plurality of storage units is a target storage unit that includes said target storage location; and prediction circuitry configured to detect whether said processing circuitry is executing a data access instruction of a predetermined type, and, upon detecting said processing circuitry executing said data access instruction of said predetermined type, to determine, based on the type of data access instruction, a predicted storage unit predicted to include said target storage location, wherein said storage controller is configured to initiate a data access to said predicted storage unit before said storage controller has identified said target storage unit, wherein said predetermined type of data access instruction is distinguished from at least one other type of data access instruction by at least one of a different opcode, a different addressing mode, and a different register referenced by the instruction.