Patent ID: 10769069

Abstract:
Data processing circuitry comprises a cache memory to cache a subset of data elements from a main memory; a processing element to execute program code to access data elements having respective memory addresses, the processing element being configured to access the data elements in the cache memory and, in the case of a cache miss, to fetch the data elements from the main memory; prefetch circuitry, responsive to an access to a current data element, to initiate prefetching into the cache memory of a data element at a memory address defined by a current offset value relative to the address of the current data element; offset value selection circuitry comprising: an address table to store memory addresses for which a data element accessed by the processing element resulted in a cache miss or an access to a previously prefetched data element; detector circuitry to detect, for each of a group of candidate offset values, one or more respective metrics representing a proportion of a set of data element accesses which resulted in a cache miss or an access to a previously prefetched data element, for which the memory address for that data element access differs by the candidate offset value from a memory address in the address table; in which the detector circuitry is configured to set a next instance of the current offset value in response to the one or more detected metrics; verification circuitry to detect, at one or more predetermined stages with respect to the processing of the group of candidate offset values by the offset value selection circuitry, one or more verification metrics representing a proportion of a set of data element accesses which resulted in a cache miss or an access to a previously prefetched data element, for which the memory address for that data element access differs by the current offset value from a memory address in the address table, to detect whether the one or more verification metrics comply with a predetermined condition; and control circuitry to inhibit prefetching at least until a next selection of a current offset value by the offset value selection circuitry, in response to a detection by the verification circuitry that the one or more verification metrics do not comply with the predetermined condition.