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Trace Cache (also known as execution trace cache) is a very specialized cache which stores the dynamic stream of instructions known as trace. It helps in increasing the instruction fetch bandwidth and decreasing power consumption (in the case of Intel Pentium 4) by storing traces of instructions that have already been fetched and decoded. Trace Processor is an architecture designed around the Trace Cache and processes the instructions at trace level granularity.
Trace cache technique based on biased control transfer instructions
The present disclosure relates to trace cache techniques based on bias control branch instructions. Trace cache circuitry configured to identify and cache traces that meet certain criteria. Prediction circuitry can track the direction of executed control branch instructions, including a first category of control branch instructions that meet a first threshold bias level towards a given direction (which can be referred to as "stable") and a second category of control branch instructions that do not meet the first threshold bias level (which can be referred to as "unstable"). The trace cache circuitry can identify traces of instructions that meet a set of criteria, including: only allowing control branch instructions of the first category as internal control branch instructions, and only allowing control branch instructions in the second category at the end of a given trace. Relative to certain conventional trace caches, the disclosed techniques can advantageously provide performance and power advantages of trace caching with reduced complexity.
Owner:APPLE INC