Patent ID: 6467035
Filing Date: 2002-10-15
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method for use with a data processing system for accessing data from a first memory using indirect addressing, the data processing system comprising a first data path associated with the first memory for retrieving data words thereform in accordance with the indirect addressing and a second data path associated with a second memory for retrieving offsets thereform for use in the indirect addressing, the first and second data paths being capable of independent and substantially simultaneous operation such that a data word can be retrieved from the first memory via the first data path during the same instruction cycle in which an offset is retrieved from the second memory via the second data path, the method comprising:during a given one of a plurality of instruction cycles of the data processing system, performing a plurality of steps including: retrieving during the given instruction cycle a data word from the first memory via the first data path of the data processing system using a first data address computed at least in part during a previous one of the instruction cycles; computing during the given instruction cycle a second data address as a function of a base address and a first offset, the first offset being retrieved from the second memory via the second data path of the data processing system during one of (i) the previous one of the instruction cycles, and (ii) another one of the instruction cycles prior to the previous instruction cycle, the second data address being used in another of the instruction cycles subsequent to the given instruction cycle to retrieve another data word from the first memory via the first data path; and retrieving during the given instruction cycle a second offset from the second memory via the second data path, the second offset being used in the other of the instruction cycles subsequent to the given instruction cycle to compute a third data address as a function of the base address and the second offset.