Pipeline decoupling buffer for handling early data and late data
US6629167B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 18, 2000 |
| Grant date | Sep 30, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 18, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/3867
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An apparatus for and a method of decoupling at least two multi-stage pipelines are described. At least two paths of data through which data from the first pipeline is send to the second pipeline are provided. During a pipelined execution of a task in the at least two pipelines, the second pipeline may not require every data produced in the first pipeline to process at least some subset of the task. The first pipeline may not be able to produce all data required by each of the stages of the second pipeline. One of the two data paths provides an early data path for a type of data that becomes available in a stage of the first pipeline and that may be processed in a stage of the second pipeline early in time. The other of the two data paths provides a late data path for a type of data that becomes available in a stage of the first pipeline and that may be processed in a stage of the second pipeline later in time. Each data path may comprise a buffer, e.g., a FIFO.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.