Collecting computer processor instrumentation data
US8453124B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 23, 2009 |
| Grant date | May 28, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 16, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F11/3409
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system and method for collecting instrumentation data in a processor with a pipelined instruction execution stages arranged in an out-of-order execution architecture. One instruction group in a Global Completion Table is marked as a tagged group. Instrumentation data is stored for processing stages processing instructions associated with the tagged group. Sample signal pulses trigger a determination of whether the tagged group is the next-to-complete instruction group. When the sample pulse occurs at a time when the tagged group is the next-to-complete group, the instrumentation data is written as an output. Instrumentation data present during sample pulses that occur when the tagged group is not the next-to-complete group is optionally discarded. Sample pulses are generated at a rate equal to the desired sample rate times the number of groups in the global completion table to better ensure occurrence of a next-to-complete tagged group.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.