EFFICIENT PROCESSING OF CLUSTERED BRANCH INSTRUCTIONS

摘要

A method for processing one or more branch instructions in an instruction bundle is provided. The instructions are ordered in an execution sequence within the bundle (step 510), with the branch instructions ordered last in the sequence (step 520). The bundled instructions are transferred to execution units indicated by a template field (step 530) that is associated with the bundle. The first branch instruction in the bundle's execution sequence that is resolved taken is determined (step 540), and retirement of subsequent instructions in the execution sequence is suppressed (step 550).