Implementation of an efficient instruction fetch pipeline utilizing a trace cache

摘要

A method and apparatus are disclosed for enhancing the pipeline instruction transfer and execution performance of a computer architecture by reducing instruction stalls due to branch and jump instructions. Trace cache within a computer architecture is used to receive computer instructions at a first rate and to store the computer instructions as traces of instructions. An instruction execution pipeline is also provided to receive, decode, and execute the computer instructions at a second rate that is less than the first rate. A mux is also provided between the trace cache and the instruction execution pipeline to select a next instruction to be loaded into the instruction execution pipeline from the trace cache based, in part, on a branch result fed back to the mux from the instruction execution pipeline.