Patent · US Expired

Hierarchical priority branch handling for parallel execution in a parallel processor

US4833599A · kind A · utility

218Cited by
11References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 20, 1987
Grant dateMay 23, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 20, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F9/3885
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In a parallel data processing system having a plurality of separately operating arithmetic processing units, a method and apparatus allows a plurality of branch instructions to be operated upon in a single machine cycle. The branch instructions have associated therewith a hierarchical priority system and the method and apparatus determine which branch, if any, should be taken. In particular, the method and apparatus simultaneously determine, during the parallel execution of the branch instructions, whether any branch test condition associated with a branch instruction is true, and independently, the target address for each branch instruction and a fall-through instruction address if a branch instruction is not taken.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.