Method and apparatus for a branch instruction pointer table

A buffer is used to store information about the branch instructions within a pipelined microprocessor that can speculatively execute instructions. When a branch instruction in the microprocessor is decoded, the address of the instruction immediately following the branch instruction (the Next Linear Instruction Pointer or NLIP) and some processor state information is written into a Branch Instruction Pointer Table. The branch instruction then proceeds down the microprocessor pipeline. Eventually, the branch instruction is executed. The resolved branch outcome for the branch instruction is compared with a predicted branch outcome. If the branch prediction was correct, the microprocessor continues execution along the current path. However, if the branch prediction was wrong then the execution unit flushes the front-end microprocessor pipeline and restores the microprocessor state information that was stored in the Branch IP Table. If the branch was mispredicted as not taken, the execution unit instructs an Instruction Fetch Unit to resume execution at a final branch target address. Alternatively, if the branch was mispredicted as taken when the branch should not have been taken, the execution unit instructs the Instruction Fetch Unit to resume execution at the Next Linear Instruction Pointer (NLIP) address stored in the Branch IP Table.