Patent · US Expired

Shared execution unit in a dual core processor

US6725354B1 · kind B1 · utility

24Cited by
8References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 15, 2000
Grant dateApr 20, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 21, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F15/7832
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A microprocessor includes a first processor core and a second processor core. The first core includes a first processing block. The first processing block includes an execution unit suitable for executing a first type of instruction. The second core includes a second processing block. The second processing block includes an execution unit suitable for executing an instruction if the instruction is of the first type. The processor further includes a shared execution unit. The first and second processor cores are adapted to forward an instruction to the shared execution unit for execution if the instruction is of a second type. In one embodiment, the first type of instruction includes fixed point instructions, load/store instructions, and branch instructions and the second type of instruction includes floating point instructions.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.