Microprocessor configured to translate instructions from one instruction set to another, and to store the translated instructions
US6711667B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 28, 1996 |
| Grant date | Mar 23, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 28, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/3885
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A microprocessor including an instruction translation unit and a storage control unit is provided. The instruction translation unit scans the instructions to be executed by the microprocessor. The instructions are coded in the instruction set of a CPU core included within the microprocessor. The instruction translation unit detects code sequences which may be more efficiently executed in a DSP core included within the microprocessor, and translates detected code sequences into one or more DSP instructions. The instruction translation unit conveys the translated code sequences to a storage control unit. The storage control unit stores the code sequences along with the address of the original code sequences. As instructions are fetched, the storage control unit is searched. If a translated code sequence is stored for the instructions being fetched, the translated code sequence is substituted for the code sequence.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.