Optimized allocation of multi-pipeline executable and specific pipeline executable instructions to execution pipelines based on criteria
US6370637B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 5, 1999 |
| Grant date | Apr 9, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 5, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/3858
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A microprocessor with a floating point unit configured to efficiently allocate multi-pipeline executable instructions is disclosed. Multi-pipeline executable instructions are instructions that are not forced to execute in a particular type of execution pipe. For example, junk ops are multi-pipeline executable. A junk op is an instruction that is executed at an early stage of the floating point unit's pipeline (e.g., during register rename), but still passes through an execution pipeline for exception checking. Junk ops are not limited to a particular execution pipeline, but instead may pass through any of the microprocessor's execution pipelines in the floating point unit. Multi-pipeline executable instructions are allocated on a per-clock cycle basis using a number of different criteria. For example, the allocation may vary depending upon the number of multi-pipeline executable instructions received by the floating point unit in a single clock cycle.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.