摘要:
A programmable processor and method for improving the performance of processors by incorporating an execution unit operable to decode and execute single instructions specifying a data selection operand and a first and a second register providing a plurality of data elements, the data selection operand comprising a plurality of fields each selecting one of the plurality of data elements, the execution unit operable to provide the data element selected by each field of the data selection operand to a predetermined position in a catenated result.
摘要:
A virtual memory system including a local-to-global virtual address translator for translating local virtual addresses having associated task specific address spaces into global virtual addresses corresponding to an address space associated with multiple tasks, and a global virtual-to-physical address translator for translating global virtual addresses to physical addresses. Protection information is provided by each of the local virtual-to-global virtual address translator, the global virtual-to-physical address translator, the cache tag storage, or a protection information buffer depending on whether a cache hit or miss occurs during a given data or instruction access. The cache is configurable such that it can be configured into a buffer portion or a cache portion for faster cache accesses.
摘要:
A programmable processor and method for improving the performance of processors by incorporating an execution unit operable to decode and execute single instructions specifying both a mask and a register containing data, the mask comprising fields that each correspond to a field of the data contained in the register, the execution unit is operable to detect some of the fields of the mask as having a predetermined value and identifying corresponding fields of the data contained in the register as write-enabled data fields; and cause the write-enabled data fields to be written to a specified memory location.
摘要:
A programmable processor and method for improving the performance of processors by incorporating an execution unit operable to decode and execute single instructions specifying both a shift amount and a register containing a plurality of data elements, wherein the execution unit is operable to shift a subfield of each of the plurality of data elements by the shift amount to produce a second plurality of data elements; and provide the second plurality of data elements as a catenated result.
摘要:
A general purpose, programmable media processor for processing and transmitting a media data stream of audio, video, radio, graphics, encryption, authentication, and networking information in real-time. The media processor incorporates an execution unit that maintains substantially peak data throughout of media data streams. The execution unit includes a dynamically partionable multi-precision arithmetic unit, programmable switch and programmable extended mathematical element. A high bandwidth external interface supplies media data streams at substantially peak rates to a general purpose register file and the multi-precision execution unit. A memory management unit, and instruction and data cache/buffers are also provided. High bandwidth memory controllers are linked in series to provide a memory channel to the general purpose, programmable media processor. The general purpose, programmable media processor is disposed in a network fabric consisting of fiber optic cable, coaxial cable and twisted pair wires to transmit, process and receive single or unified media data streams. Parallel general purpose media processors are disposed throughout the network in a distributed virtual manner to allow for multi-processor operations and sharing of resources through the network. A method for receiving, processing and transmitting media data streams over the communications fabric is also provided.
摘要:
A floating point system and method employing instructions where instruction have incorporated floating point information. The floating point information indicates whether an exception trap should occur and the type of rounding to be performed upon "inexact" arithmetic results. The floating point information further indicates whether other floating-point exception traps should occur. This information allows dynamic (e.g. instruction-by-instruction) modification of various operating parameters of the CPU without modifying information in status registers using special instructions or modes, thereby increasing overall CPU performance. The technique is also supported by several mechanisms for providing precise floating-point exceptions.
摘要:
A non-blocking load buffer is provided for use in a high-speed microprocessor and memory system. The non-blocking load buffer interfaces a high-speed processor/cache bus, which connects a processor and a cache to the non-blocking load buffer, with a lower speed peripheral bus, which connects to peripheral devices. The non-blocking load buffer allows data to be retrieved from relatively low bandwidth peripheral devices directly from programmed I/O of the processor at the maximum rate of the peripherals so that the data may be processed and stored without unnecessarily idling the processor. I/O requests from several processors within a multiprocessor may simultaneously be buffered so that a plurality of non-blocking loads may be processed during the latency period of the device. As a result, a continuous maximum throughput from multiple I/O devices by the programmed I/O of the processor is achieved and the time required for completing tasks and processing data may be reduced. Also, a multiple priority non-blocking load buffer is provided for serving a multiprocessor running real-time processes of varying deadlines by prioritization-based scheduling of memory and peripheral accesses.
摘要:
Methods for improving adhesion between various materials utilized in the fabrication of integrated circuits. A first method relates to improving adhesion between a silicon nitride layer and a silicon dioxide layer. The method includes treating a surface of the silicon dioxide layer with a nitrogen plasma in a reactive ion etching process prior to depositing the silicon nitride film on the surface of the silicon dioxide layer. A second method relates to improving adhesion between a silicon nitride layer and a polyimide layer. The method includes the step of treating a surface of the silicon nitride layer with a oxygen/argon plasma in a reactive ion etching process prior to depositing the polyimide layer film on the surface of the silicon nitride layer. A third method relates to improving adhesion between a photoresist layer and a metal. The method includes the step of treating a surface of the photoresist layer with a oxygen/argon plasma in a reactive ion etching process prior to depositing the metal on the surface of the photoresist layer.
摘要:
The present invention encompasses techniques for reducing digital noise in integrated circuits and circuit assemblies, particularly dense mixed-signal integrated circuits, based upon shaping the noise from the digital circuit and concentrating it in a single, or a small number, of parts of the frequency spectrum. Generally, the presence of noise in the analog circuit is less important at certain frequencies, and therefore the spectral peak or peaks from the digital circuit can be carefully placed to result in little or no interference. As an example, a radio receiver might be designed such that the peaks of the digital noise lie between received channels, outside the band edges of each.
摘要:
A circuit for isolating an interconnect line from unwanted input signal voltage levels is described. One implementation of the circuit includes a transmission gate coupled in series between an input signal and an interconnect line having its gate coupled to the output of an inverter and the input of the inverter coupled to the input signal. The inverter senses the input signal and when it sense voltages that are either too high or low, the isolation circuit decouples the input signal from the interconnect line such that the input signal can transition independently with respect to the voltage levels on the interconnect line.