Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Huawei Technologies Co., Limited

Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Wei-Yu Chen

Kevin Badgett

Kay Hessee

Marius Evers

Debjit Das Sarma

Ehsan Khish Ardestani Zadeh

Nikhil Gupta

Kay Hesse

Siegfried Kay Hesse

Timothy J Wood

Douglas R Williams

Han Bin Kim

Liang Peng

Sahil Arora

Gang Liu

Sang Wook Do

Elnaz Ebrahimi

An apparatus includes a processor core and a memory hierarchy. The memory hierarchy includes main memory and one or more caches between the main memory and the processor core. A plurality of hardware pre-fetchers are coupled to the memory hierarchy and a pre-fetch control circuit is coupled to the plurality of hardware pre-fetchers. The pre-fetch control circuit is configured to compare changes in one or more cache performance metrics over two or more sampling intervals and control operation of the plurality of hardware pre-fetchers in response to a change in one or more performance metrics between at least a first sampling interval and a second sampling interval.

Systems and methods for adaptive hybrid hardware pre-fetch

The disclosure relates to technology for pre-fetching data. An apparatus comprises a processor core, pre-fetch logic, and a memory hierarchy. The pre-fetch logic is configured to generate cache pre-fetch requests for a program instruction identified by a program counter. The pre-fetch logic is configured to track one or more statistics with respect to the cache pre-fetch requests. The pre-fetch logic is configured to link the one or more statistics with the program counter. The pre-fetch logic is configured to determine a degree of the cache pre-fetch requests for the program instruction based on the one or more statistics. The memory hierarchy comprises main memory and a hierarchy of caches. The memory hierarchy further comprises a memory controller configured to pre-fetch memory blocks identified in the cache pre-fetch requests from a current level in the memory hierarchy into a higher level of the memory hierarchy.

Statistic based cache pre-fetcher

A processor, a device, and a non-transitory computer readable medium for performing branch prediction in a processor are presented. The processor includes a front end unit. The front end unit includes a level 1 branch target buffer (BTB), a BTB index predictor (BIP), and a level 1 hash perceptron (HP). The BTB is configured to predict a target address. The BIP is configured to generate a prediction based on a program counter and a global history, wherein the prediction includes a speculative partial target address, a global history value, a global history shift value, and a way prediction. The HP is configured to predict whether a branch instruction is taken or not taken.

Bandwidth increase in branch prediction unit and level 1 instruction cache

Integrated circuits with memory built-in self test (MBIST) circuitry and methods are disclosed that employ enhanced features. In one aspect of the invention, an integrated circuit is provided having MIBST circuitry configured to serially test multiple arrays of memory elements within a component of the integrated circuit and to also conduct parallel initialization of the serially tested arrays. In another aspect of the invention, the MBST circuitry is used set the memory elements of the arrays to a first state and then to an inverse state during a burn-in operation to maintain each of the two opposing states for a desired time in order to either force a failure of the integrated circuit component or produce a pre-stressed component beyond an infancy stage.

Integrated circuit with memory built-in self test (MBIST) circuitry having enhanced features and methods

Integrated circuits with memory built-in self test (MBIST) circuitry and methods are disclosed that employ enhanced features. In one aspect of the invention, MBST circuitry is used set memory elements of arrays to a first state and then to an inverse state during a burn-in operation to maintain each of the two opposing states for a desired time in order to either force a failure of the integrated circuit component or produce a pre-stressed component beyond an infancy stage. Preferably, an integrated circuit is provided having MIBST circuitry configured to serially test multiple arrays of memory elements within a component of the integrated circuit and to also conduct parallel initialization of the serially tested arrays.

Memory built-in self test (MBIST) circuitry configured to facilitate production of pre-stressed integrated circuits and methods

Failure and repair information collected during self-testing of arrays in an integrated circuit is stored in a centralized array in the integrated circuit. In that way, a centralized array can be read out to provide failure and repair information on the arrays in the integrated circuit rather than having to read from each array. In addition, the failure and repair information may also be stored in the array under test for certain of the arrays.

Centralized MBIST failure information

A technique for providing service processor (SP) access to registers, e.g., control and status registers (CSRs), located within hardware modules of a computer system, ensures access to the CSRs within a predetermine time period. The computer system includes a host module (HM) and a plurality of client modules (CMs). The CMs each include one or more associated registers, and each of the CMs is separately addressable. At least one of the CMs operates at a different clock frequency than the remaining CMs and includes a clock synchronizer, which provides a clock signal to facilitate reading of or writing to the associated registers of the CM by the HM.

Growing community of inventors

Fremont, CA, United States of America

Wei-Yu Chen