Disclosed embodiments relate to instructions for fast element unpacking. In one example, a processor includes fetch circuitry to fetch an instruction whose format includes fields to specify an opcode and locations of an Array-of-Structures (AOS) source matrix and one or more Structure of Arrays (SOA) destination matrices, wherein: the specified opcode calls for unpacking elements of the specified AOS source matrix into the specified Structure of Arrays (SOA) destination matrices, the AOS source matrix is to contain N structures each containing K elements of different types, with same-typed elements in consecutive structures separated by a stride, the SOA destination matrices together contain K segregated groups, each containing N same-typed elements, decode circuitry to decode the fetched instruction, and execution circuitry, responsive to the decoded instruction, to unpack each element of the specified AOS matrix into one of the K element types of the one or more SOA matrices.

Embodiments for a metadata predictor. An index pipeline generates indices in an index buffer in which the indices are used for reading out a memory device. A prediction cache is populated with metadata of instructions read from the memory device. A prediction pipeline generates a prediction using the metadata of the instructions from the prediction cache, the populating of the prediction cache with the metadata of the instructions being performed asynchronously to the operating of the prediction pipeline.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for virtualizing a micro-operation cache are disclosed. A processor includes at least a micro-operation cache, a conventional cache subsystem, a decode unit, and control logic. The decode unit decodes instructions into micro-operations which are then stored in the micro-operation cache. The micro-operation cache has limited capacity for storing micro-operations. When new micro-operations are decoded from pending instructions, existing micro-operations are evicted from the micro-operation cache to make room for the new micro-operations. Rather than being discarded, micro-operations evicted from the micro-operation cache are stored in the conventional cache subsystem. This prevents the original instruction from having to be decoded again on subsequent executions. When the control logic determines that micro-operations for one or more fetched instructions are stored in either the micro-operation cache or the conventional cache subsystem, the control logic causes the decode unit to transition to a reduced-power state.

A computer-implemented method of performing a link stack based prefetch augmentation using a sequential prefetching includes observing a call instruction in a program being executed, and pushing a return address onto a link stack for processing the next instruction. A stream of instructions is prefetched starting from a cached line address of the next instruction and is stored in an instruction cache.

A method and system for compressing and decompressing data is disclosed. A compression command may initiate the prefetching of first data, which may be stored in a first buffer. Multiple words of the first data may be read from the first buffer and used to generate a plurality of compressed packets, each of which includes a command specifying a type of packet. The compressed packets may be combined into a group and multiple groups may be combined and stored in a second buffer. A decompression command may initiate the prefetching of second data, which is stored in the first buffer. A portion of the second data may be read from the first buffer and used to generate a group of compressed packets. Multiple output words may be generated dependent upon the group of compressed packets.

A processing element is implemented in a stage of a pipeline and configured to execute an instruction. A first array of multiplexers is to provide information associated with the instruction to the processing element in response to the instruction being in a first set of instructions. A second array of multiplexers is to provide information associated with the instruction to the first processing element in response to the instruction being in a second set of instructions. A control unit is to gate at least one of power or a clock signal provided to the first array of multiplexers in response to the instruction being in the second set.

Systems, methods, and apparatuses relating to circuitry to implement toggle point insertion for a clustered decode pipeline are described. In one example, a hardware processor core includes a first decode cluster comprising a plurality of decoder circuits, a second decode cluster comprising a plurality of decoder circuits, and a toggle point control circuit to toggle between sending instructions requested for decoding between the first decode cluster and the second decode cluster, wherein the toggle point control circuit is to: determine a location in an instruction stream as a candidate toggle point to switch the sending of the instructions requested for decoding between the first decode cluster and the second decode cluster, track a number of times a characteristic of multiple previous decodes of the instruction stream is present for the location, and cause insertion of a toggle point at the location, based on the number of times, to switch the sending of the instructions requested for decoding between the first decode cluster and the second decode cluster.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate an apparatus comprising fetch circuitry and instruction storage circuitry. The fetch circuitry is to fetch instructions for execution by execution circuitry. The instruction storage circuitry is to store temporary copies of fetched instructions. The fetch circuitry is configured to preferentially fetch instructions from the instruction storage circuitry. The instruction storage circuitry is configured to, responsive to a storage condition being met, begin storing copies of consecutive fetched instructions, the storage condition indicating a utility of a current fetched instruction; and to, responsive to determining that a number of said stored consecutive instructions has reached a storage threshold, cease storing copies of subsequent fetched instructions.

A device includes a circular buffer, which, in operation, is organized into a plurality of subsets of buffers, and control circuitry coupled to the circular buffer. The control circuitry, in operation, receives a memory load command to load a set of data into the circular buffer. The memory load command has an offset parameter indicating a data offset and a subset parameter indicating a subset of the plurality of subsets into which the circular buffer is organized. The control circuitry responds to the command by identifying a set of buffer addresses of the circular buffer based on a value of the offset parameter and a value of the subset parameter, and loading the set of data into the circular buffer using the identified set of buffer addresses.

A method for emulating a guest centralized flag architecture by using a native distributed flag architecture. The method includes receiving an incoming instruction sequence using a global front end; grouping the instructions to form instruction blocks, wherein each of the instruction blocks comprise two half blocks; scheduling the instructions of the instruction block to execute in accordance with a scheduler; and using a distributed flag architecture to emulate a centralized flag architecture for the emulation of guest instruction execution.