Faraday Technology Corporation

Tzu-Min Chou

Chung-Ping Chung

Hui-Chin Yang

Guan-Ying Chiou

Shun-Chieh Chang

Yuan-Jung Kuo

A method for recovering global history shift register (GHSR) and return address stack (RAS) is provided, which is applicable to an instruction pipeline of a processor and includes the following steps. First, provide a branch recovery table (BRT) and a backup stack. Whenever a branch instruction enters a predetermined stage of the instruction pipeline, add a record in the BRT according to the branch instruction. Whenever a return address is popped from the RAS of the instruction pipeline, push the return address into the backup stack. When flushing the instruction pipeline, determine a removal range of the BRT according to the condition which triggers the pipeline flush. Recover the RAS according to the records in the removal range and the backup stack. Remove all records in the removal range. Recover the GHSR of the instruction pipeline according to the removed records.

Processor and method for recovering global history shift register and return address stack thereof by determining a removal range of a branch recovery table

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Taipei, Taiwan

Tzu-Min Chou