Abstract: A microprocessor chip, and methods for use in that microprocessor chip. The chip has instruction pipeline circuitry and address translation circuitry. Table lookup circuitry indexes into a table, the table having an entry associated with each corresponding address range translated by the address translation circuitry. Each entry of the table describes a likelihood of the existence of an alternate coding of instructions located in the respective corresponding address range. The table lookup circuitry retrieves a table entry corresponding to the address, and is operable as part of the basic instruction cycle of executing an instruction of a non-supervisor mode program executing on a computer.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 28, 1999
Date of Patent:
June 27, 2006
Assignee:
ATI Technologies, SRL
Inventors:
John S. Yates, Jr., David L. Reese, Paul H. Hohensee, Korbin S. Van Dyke, T. R. Ramesh