Method, apparatus and computer system for directly transferring and translating data between an integer processing unit and a floating point processing unit

US6249798A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Institute for the Development of Emerging Architectures, L.L.C. · US

Inventors

• Roger Golliver · Beaverton, US
• Michael J. Morrison · Sunnyvale, US
• Glenn T. Colon-Bonet · Fort Collins, US
• Guatam Bhawandas Doshi · Sunnyvale, US
• Jerome C. Huck · Palo Alto, US
• Alan H. Karp · Palo Alto, US
• Sivakumar Makineni · Sunnyvale, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 10, 1996
• Grant date: Jun 19, 2001
• Expiry date: Oct 10, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H03M7/24
• WIPO field: Basic communication processes
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus, a processor, a computer system and a method may be used to directly transfer and translate data between a memory format in an integer processing unit and a floating point format in a floating point processing unit. Data is stored in integer registers of the integer processing unit in a memory format and is stored in floating point registers of the floating point processing unit in a floating point format. A direct data link is provided between the integer register file of the integer processing unit and the floating point register file of the floating point processing unit. The direct data link includes a logic circuit which translates data between the memory format and the floating point format.