2–14 Internal Architectur e
21264/EV68A Hardware Reference Manual
Pipeline Organization
Figure 2–8 Pipeline Organization
Stage 0 Instruction Fetch
The branch predictoruses a branch history algorithm to predict a branch instruction tar-
get address.
Up to four alignedinstructions are fetched from the Icache, i n program order. The
branchprediction tables are also accessed in this cycle.The branch predictor uses tables
and a branch historyalgorithm to predict a branch instruction target address for one
branchor memory format JSR instruction per cycle. Therefore, the prefetcher is limited
to fetchingthrough one branch per cycle. If there is more than one branch within the
fetchline, and the branch predictor predicts that the firstbranch will not be taken, it will
predictthrough subsequent branches at the rate of one per cycle, until it predictsa taken
branch orpredicts through the last branch in the fetch line.
The Icachearray also contains a line prediction field, the contents ofwhich are applied
to theIcache in the next cycle. The purpose of the line predictor is to remove thepipe-
line bubblewhich would otherwise be created when the branch predictor predicts a
branch to be taken. In effect, the line predictor attempts to p redict the Icache line which
the branchpredictor will generate. On fills, the line predictor valueat each fetch line is
initializedwith the index of the next sequential fetch line, and later retrained by the
branch predictorif necessary.
Stage1 — Instru ction Slot
The Ibox mapsfour instructions per cycle from the 64KB 2-way set-predict Icache.
Instructionsare mapped in order, executed dynamically, but are retired in order.
Branch
Predictor
Instruction
Cache
(64KB)
(2-Set)
Integer
Register
Rename
Map
Floating-
Point
Register
Rename
Map
Integer
Issue
Queue
(20)
Integer
Register
File
Floating-
Point
Issue
Queue
(15)
Floating-
Point
Register
File
ALU
Shifter
ALU Shifter
Multiplier
ALU Address
Address
ALU
Floating-Point
Add, Divide,
and Square Root
Floating-Point
Multiply
64KB
Data
Cache
Bus
Interface
Unit
System
Bus
(64 Bits)
Cache
Bus
(128 Bits)
Physical
Address
(44 Bits)
Four
Instructions
FM-05575.AI4
0213456