Multistream processing memory-and barrier-synchronization method and apparatus
US7437521B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 18, 2003 |
| Grant date | Oct 14, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 2, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2212/1024
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus to provide specifiable ordering between and among vector and scalar operations within a single streaming processor (SSP) via a local synchronization (Lsync) instruction that operates within a relaxed memory consistency model. Various aspects of that relaxed memory consistency model are described. Further, a combined memory synchronization and barrier synchronization (Msync) for a multistreaming processor (MSP) system is described. Also, a global synchronization (Gsync) instruction provides synchronization even outside a single MSP system is described. Advantageously, the pipeline or queue of pending memory requests does not need to be drained before the synchronization operation, nor is it required to refrain from determining addresses for and inserting subsequent memory accesses into the pipeline.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.