Transmeta Corporation

Other

Patrick Gainer

Brett Coon

Malcolm J Wing

John P Banning

Linus Torvalds

Brian Choy

Dynamic translation of indirect branch instructions of a target application by a host processor is enhanced by including a cache to provide access to the addresses of the most frequently used translations of a host computer, minimizing the need to access the translation buffer. Entries in the cache have a host instruction address and tags that may include a logical address of the instruction of the target application, the physical address of that instruction, the code segment limit to the instruction, and the context value of the host processor associated with that instruction. The cache may be a software cache apportioned by software from the main processor memory or a hardware cache separate from main memory.

Method and system for storing and retrieving a translation of target program instruction from a host processor using fast look-up of indirect branch destination in a dynamic translation system

Fast look-up of indirect branch destination in a dynamic translation system

Dynamic translation of indirect branch instructions of a target application by a host processor is enhanced by including a cache to provide access to the addresses of the most frequently used translations of a host computer, minimizing the need to access the translation buffer. Each entry in the cache includes a host instruction address, a logical address of the instruction of the target application, the physical address of that instruction, the code segment limit to the instruction, and the context value of the host processor associated with that instruction, the last four named components constituting tags to the host instruction address, and a valid-invalid bit. In a basic embodiment, the cache is a software cache apportioned by software from the main processor memory chips.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Patrick Gainer