Patent · US Active

Data processing apparatus and method for reducing issue circuitry responsibility by using a predetermined pipeline stage to schedule a next operation in a sequence of operations defined by a complex instruction

US7984269B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
3References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 12, 2007
Grant dateJul 19, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 13, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F9/3893
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A data processing apparatus and method are provided for executing complex instructions. The data processing apparatus executes instructions defining operations to be performed by the data processing apparatus, those instructions including at least one complex instruction defining a sequence of operations to be performed. The data processing apparatus comprises a plurality of execution pipelines, each execution pipeline having a plurality of pipeline stages and arranged to perform at least one associated operation. Issue circuitry interfaces with the plurality of execution pipelines and is used to schedule performance of the operations defined by the instructions. For the at least one complex instruction, the issue circuitry is arranged to schedule a first operation in the sequence, and to issue control signals to one of the execution pipelines with which that first operation is associated, those control signals including an indication of each additional operation in the sequence. Then, when performance of the first operation reaches a predetermined pipeline stage in that execution pipeline, that predetermined pipeline stage is arranged to schedule a next operation in the sequence, …

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