Speculative backend operations - page 2

An A/D converter can return its last sample, and after the instruction, begin to digitize another sample.

A random number generator, whether pseudo random in software or true random in hardware, could immediately return its last generated number and then start working on the next.

A video frame buffer could return its frame and then proceed to grab another while the main process is processing the first.

An FFT algorithm could return the results from its last batch of data and then proceed to compute with another batch of data while the main process is processing the first.

Numerous such examples can be listed.

They are "speculative" in that the program may never come back for another random number or another A/D value or another count of the counter. Presumably the number of times they would provide instant data would far outweigh the waste of one extra computation.