Patent · US Active

Framework for generating mixed-mode operations in loop-level simdization

US8549501B2 · kind B2 · utility

22Cited by
19References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 16, 2004
Grant dateOct 1, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 29, 2031

Classification

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

Abstract

Generating mixed-mode operations in the compilation of program code for processors having vector or SIMD processing units is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, program instructions making up the body of a loop are abstracted into virtual vector instructions. These virtual vector instructions are treated, for initial code optimization purposes, as vector instructions (i.e., instructions written for the vector unit). The virtual vector instructions are eventually expanded into native code for the target processor, at which time a determination is made for each virtual vector instruction as to whether to expand the virtual vector instruction into native vector instructions, into native scalar instructions, into calls to pre-defined library functions, or into a combination of these. A cost model is used to determine the optimal choice of expansion based on hardware/software constraints, performance costs/benefits, and other criteria.

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