摘要 |
<p>A controller for a digital processor includes a power consuming random access memory (12) storing instructions. To reduce power consumption when loop instructions are processed, the loop instructions are stored in a shift register (24), when the instructions are first fetched from the memory for execution. A memory controller (20) including a state tracking machine (210) monitors the execution (16) of the instructions and determines when a loop has been entered, whereupon instructions are fetched from the shift register instead of the memory until the loop is exited. The process is initiated for each loop in a nested loops. The controller does not require a special instruction either preceding or following a loop.</p> |