摘要:
A method and apparatus colors the conventional error codes of each word of a multiword transmission to facilitate the detection of bit errors in each word or words which are out of order or not part of the transmission, without affecting the data in the word. A 1-bit by n-bit matrix is assembled using the header word, and zeros for the header of the multiword transmission, or the data word, error code, if any, an identifier portion of the header word and zeros for each data word, and the 1-bit by n-bit matrix is multiplied by an n-bit by m-bit matrix assembled from a conventional error coding matrix and other matrices. The result either produces an error code to be sent with the header or data, or a check code to be verified as all zeros to indicate the absence of bit errors within the header or data word, and that the word is in the proper packet and in the proper sequence within the packet.
摘要:
A method and apparatus stores result data from an execution unit into a physical destination register in a register renaming superscaler microprocessor. The destination register number is associated with the result data and sent to a decoder which decodes the destination register number and enables the destination register corresponding to the destination register number to accept the result data broadcast to the physical destination registers.
摘要:
A computer system (10) includes a central processing unit (12) and a memory management unit (18) having a plurality of functional units, such as a memory interface unit, a remote interface unit (60), a cache interface unit (70), and a translation unit (50). Each functional unit has a low priority error queue for storing error information for errors having a low priority. Some functional units also have a high priority error queue for storing error information for errors having a high priority error. Based on the status of the error queues, the memory management unit prioritizes and handles errors caused by hardware failures. For low priority errors, an interrupt request signal is sent to the central processing unit (122). For high priority errors, a RED ALERT signal is sent to the processing unit (112) to cause the processing unit to give immediate attention to the error. For high priority error queue overflows, a failure signal is generated (102) which causes the system to be halted and the contents of the system to be scanned out (104). Thus, errors are prioritized and handled accordingly.
摘要:
A system and method provides hardware support for fast software emulation of unimplemented instructions using issue trap logic that determines the instruction type and parameter fields of an unimplemented instruction when an exception is triggered and uses the fields to branch directly to emulation code specific to an unimplemented instruction having the determined instruction type and parameter fields.
摘要:
A content addressable memory cell is able to store a state representing "Don't Care", by storing two bits of data. The "Don't Care" state is indicated by storing two identical bits corresponding to a predetermined value, so that the cell indicates a match regardless of the match data. When the cell is not in the "Don't Care" state, two complementary bits are stored, so that the cell indicates a match only when the match data matches the state of the first of the two bits.
摘要:
A method and apparatus for generating a zero flag (z-flag) status signal in a microprocessor includes a z-flag signal generator that generates a z-flag signal from unaligned data simultaneous to the load alignment of such data. The z-flag generator first performs a zero detect on each byte of data retrieved from memory. The zero detect results are next decoded according to bit selection signals generated from a data format code which corresponds to the specific format of the retrieved data.
摘要:
A method and apparatus are disclosed for detecting and correcting errors in the data stored within the entries of a memory table. Each time data is entered into the memory table, an error code generator generates a corresponding error code using the data. This error code is stored in the memory table along with the corresponding data. When an entry in the memory table is read out, an error detector receives the outputted data and its corresponding error code and processes the data and the error code to determine whether the outputted data contains any errors. If the outputted data contains any errors, the outputted data and error code are sent to an error correction unit. In response, the correction unit attempts to find single and double bit errors in the data by way of a compact and efficient computer program. If either a single or double bit error is found, the error correction unit corrects the error or errors to derive a set of corrected data. This corrected data is then written back to the proper entry within the memory table to correct the error or errors in the data. Data errors within the memory table are thus detected and corrected.
摘要:
A system and method providing a programmable hardware device within a CPU. The programmable hardware device permits a plurality of instructions to be trapped before they are executed. The instructions that are to be trapped are programmable to provide flexibility during CPU debugging and to ensure that a variety of application programs can be properly executed by the CPU. The system must also provide a means for permitting a trapped instruction to be emulated and/or to be executed serially.
摘要:
A method and apparatus for performing address translation in a computer system supporting virtual memory by searching a translation lookaside buffer (101) (TLB) and, possibly, a translation table (116) held in memory (106) and implemented as a B-tree data structure. The TLB is initially searched for a translation for a specified input address (104). If exactly one valid entry of the TLB stores a translation for the specified input address then the output address (129) corresponding to the specified input address is determined from the contents of that entry. Otherwise, the translation table is searched for a translation for the specified input address. If two or more valid entries of the TLB store a translation for the specified input address then these entries are invalidated. A translation for the specified input address and possibly one or more translations for other input addresses that are stored together with the translation for the specified input address are taken from the translation table and inserted into the TLB.
摘要:
An instruction selector receives M instructions per clock cycle and stores N instructions in an instruction queue memory. An instruction queue generates a precedence matrix indicative of the age of the N instructions. A dependency checker determines the available registers for executing the instructions ready for execution. An oldest-instruction selector selects the M oldest instructions responsive to the precedence matrix and the eligible queue entry signals. The instruction queue provides the M selected instructions to execution units for execution. Upon completing the instructions, the execution units provide register availability signals to the dependency checker to release the registers used for the instructions.