System and method for prefetching data from a main computer memory into a cache memory

DETAILED DESCRIPTION One form of the present invention is a method for managing data elements in a memory system.
The memory system is accessible by a plurality of bus masters connected by a bus to the system.
Code data elements to be read are predicted.
The predicted code data elements are then transferred within the memory system from a slow to high speed memory without delaying memory access requests for data from the bus masters.
Another form of the present invention is a memory system, connectable by a bus to a plurality of bus masters.
The system includes a system memory, cache, predicting means and transfer means.
The memory and cache are connected to the bus.
The predicting means predicts data elements to be read by a bus master.
The transfer means transfer the predicted data elements from the memory to the cache without delaying memory access requests from the bus masters.