Executing different instructions that cause different data type operations to be performed on single logical register file
US5701508A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 19, 1995 |
| Grant date | Dec 23, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 19, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/462
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for executing different sets of instructions that cause a processor to perform different data type operations in a manner that is invisible to various operating system techniques, that promotes good programming practices, and that is invisible to existing software conventions. According to one aspect of the invention, a data processing apparatus executes a first set of instructions of a first instruction type on what at least logically appears to software as a single logical register file. While the data processing apparatus is executing the first set of instructions, the single logical register file appears to be operated as a flat register file. In addition, the data processing apparatus executes a first instruction of a second instruction type using the logical register file. However, while the data processing apparatus is executing the first instruction, the logical register file appears to be operated as a stack referenced register file. Furthermore, the data processing apparatus alters all tags in a set of tags corresponding to the single logical register file to a non-empty state sometime between starting the execution of the first set of instructions and completing…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.