Patent ID: 6970999

Claim:
A method for analyzing causes for an instruction table flush in a processor, said method comprising: counting a number of clock cycles to transpire while an instruction table is empty after a latest instruction table flush; counting a number of clock cycles to transpire while said instruction table is refilling with instructions; counting a number of clock cycles to transpire while said refilled instructions execute; assigning a different counter, selected from a plurality of counters, to each of a plurality of possible causes for said latest instruction table flush; counting in all of said plurality of counters said number of clock cycles to transpire while said instruction table is empty; determining a cause for said latest instruction table flush; retaining a value representing a number of clock cycles to transpire while said instruction table is empty in a counter associated with said cause for said latest instruction table flush; and resetting said plurality of counters, other than said counter associated with said cause for said latest instruction table flush, to a value stored in said plurality of counters before said latest instruction flush.