Patent · US Expired

Mechanism for software pipelining loop nests

US6820250B2 · kind B2 · utility

28Cited by
23References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 9, 2002
Grant dateNov 16, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 9, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F8/4452
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method is provided for processing nested loops that include a modulo-scheduled inner loop within an outer loop. The nested loop is scheduled to execute the epilog stage of the inner loop for a given iteration of the outer loop with the prolog stage of the inner loop for the next iteration of the outer loop. For one embodiment of the invention, this is accomplished by initializing an epilog counter for the inner loop to a value that bypasses draining the software pipeline. This causes the processor to exit the inner loop before it begins draining the inner loop pipeline. The inner loop pipeline is drained during the next iteration of the outer loop, while the inner loop pipeline fills for the next iteration of the outer loop.

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