Prediction of number of iterations of a fetching process

Abstract

Prediction circuitry predicts a number of iterations of a fetching process to be performed to control fetching of data/instructions for processing operations that are predicted to be performed by processing circuitry. The processing circuitry can tolerate performing unnecessary iterations of the fetching process following an over-prediction of the number of iterations. In response to the processing circuitry resolving an actual number of iterations, the prediction circuitry adjusts the prediction state information used to predict the number of iterations, based on whether a first predicted number of iterations, predicted based on a first iteration prediction parameter, provides a good prediction (when the first predicted number of iterations is in a range i_cnt to i_cnt+N, where i_cnt is the actual number of iterations and N≥1), or a misprediction (when the first predicted number of iterations is outside the range i_cnt to i_cnt+N).