摘要:
In an enhanced virtual renaming scheme within a processor, multiple logical registers may be mapped to a single physical register. A value cache determines whether a new value generated pursuant to program instructions matches values associated with previously executed instructions. If so, the logical register associated with the newly executed instruction shares the physical register. Also, deadlock preventatives measures may be integrated into a register allocation unit in a manner that “steals” a physical register from a younger executed instruction when a value from an older instruction is generated-in a processor core.
摘要:
The operating rate of an electronic system is maximized without exceeding a thermal constraint, such as a maximum junction temperature of an integrated circuit (IC) or other portion of the electronic system. An operating parameter of the system that controls the thermal output of the system is calculated for an upcoming time period based upon the previously measured thermal performance relationship to the operating parameter level. If the predicted thermal performance will exceed a maximum allowable level of the thermal constraint, then the operating parameter is reduced by an amount calculated to keep the thermal constraint at a level just below the maximum allowable level, thus resulting in an optimal control approach to maximizing the system performance while not exceeding the thermal constraint.
摘要:
A power aware front-end unit for a processor may include a UOP cache that disables other circuitry within the front-end unit. In an embodiment, a front-end unit may disable instruction synchronization circuitry, instruction decode circuitry and, optionally, instruction fetch circuitry while instruction look-ups are underway in both a block cache and an instruction cache. If the instruction look-up indicates a miss, the disabled circuitry thereafter may be enabled.
摘要:
Apparatus and methods to execute an instruction of an application of a first bit size ported to a second bit size environment, including methods and apparatus to confine the application to a first bit size address space subset. An embodiment in accordance with the present invention includes a method to confine an application to an address space subset, the method including determining that the application is confined to a first bit size address subset, the application including an instruction; generating an address reference of a second bit size as part of execution of the instruction; truncating the generated address reference from the second bit size to the first bit size; and extending the truncated, generated address reference from the first bit size to the second bit size based at least in part on an address format control flag.
摘要:
A processor having a register renaming structure and method is disclosed to recover a free list. The processor includes a physical register file including physical registers. The processor also includes a decoder to decode an instruction to indicate a destination logical register. The processor also includes a register allocation table to map the destination logical register to an allocated physical register. The processor also includes an active list that includes an old field and a new field. The old field includes at least one evicted physical register from the register alias table. The new field includes the allocated physical register. The processor also includes the free list of unallocated physical registers reclaimed from the active list.
摘要:
A processor system and method that reduces the number of register value copying made from alias registers to corresponding real (architectural) registers. One method entails not performing an alias register to real register copying if the incoming instruction does not designate a real register. Another method entails delaying alias register to real register copying until the corresponding reorder buffer (ROB) entry is actually written to. Yet another method entails not performing an alias register to real register copying if the ROB entry is the same as the existing ROB entry. And, still another method entails further delaying or stalling the allocation of an ROB entry.
摘要:
Apparatus and methods to track a register value. A microprocessor can include a first register, a control circuit, and an adder. The first register can store a tracked register value. The control circuit can include an instruction input to receive at least a portion of an instruction and a first output to output an arithmetic operation indication. The adder can include a control input to receive the arithmetic operation indication, a first input to receive an immediate operand of an instruction, and a second input to receive the tracked register value.
摘要:
Briefly, an optimization unit to search for two or more candidate instructions in an instruction trace and to merge the two or more candidate instructions into a single instruction with multiple data (SIMD) according to a depth of a trace dependency and a common operation code of the two or more candidate instructions.
摘要:
A method for renaming a source for use with a processor, the method including providing an instruction, building instruction dependency information based on the instruction, caching the instruction based on the instruction dependency information to provide a cached instruction, renaming a register based on the cached instruction to provide a renamed register, and multiplexing the instruction dependency information and the renamed register to rename the source.
摘要:
Distribution of processing activity across processing hardware based on power consumption and/or thermal considerations. One embodiment includes a plurality of processing units and a monitor to obtain monitor (e.g., power consumption, or temperature or some combination thereof) values from the processing units. The monitor transfers a process from one processing unit to another in response to the monitor values from the processing units.