摘要:
A method for pseudo-randomly, without bias, selecting instructions for marking in a microprocessor. Responsive to reading an instruction from an instruction cache, an instruction tag associated with the instruction is compared against a pseudo-randomly generated value in a linear feedback shift register (LFSR). If the instruction tag matches the value in the LFSR, a mark bit, indicating the instruction is a marked instruction, is sent with the instruction to an execution unit. Responsive to an indication from the performance monitor, the value in the LFSR is incremented prior to selecting a next instruction to mark. If the value equals a predetermined prime number of increments, the value is reset to all ones to avoid any harmonics with the code stream being executed. Upon receiving the marked instruction, the execution unit combines the marked bit with a selected event and reports the marked event to the performance monitor.
摘要:
A method, apparatus, and computer program product are disclosed for ensuring processing fairness in simultaneous multi-threading (SMT) microprocessors. A clock cycle priority is assigned to a first thread and to a second thread during a standard selection state that lasts for an expected number of clock cycles by selecting the first thread to be a primary thread and the second thread to be a secondary thread. If a condition exists that requires overriding, an override state is executed by selecting the second thread to be the primary thread and the first thread to be the secondary thread. The override state is forced to be executed for an override period of time which equals the expected number of clock cycles plus a forced number of clock cycles. The forced number of clock cycles is granted to the first thread in response to the first thread again becoming the primary thread.
摘要:
Dynamic reformatting of a dispatch group by selective activation of inactive Start bits of instructions within the dispatch group at the time the instructions are read from the IBUF. The number of instructions in the reformatted dispatch groups can vary from as few as one instruction per group to a maximum number of instructions read from the IBUF per cycle. The reformatted dispatch groupings can be terminated after a single cycle, or they can remain reformatted for as many cycles as desired, depending upon need.
摘要:
An information handling system includes a processor with an instruction issue queue (IQ) that may perform age tracking operations. The issue queue IQ maintains or stores instructions that may issue out-of-order in an internal data store (IDS). The IDS organizes instructions in a queue position (QPOS) addressing arrangement. An age matrix of the IQ maintains a record of relative instruction aging for those instructions within the IDS. The age matrix updates latches or other memory cell data to reflect the changes in IDS instruction ages during a dispatch operation into the IQ. During dispatch of one or more instructions, the age matrix may update only those latches that require data change to reflect changing IDS instruction ages. The age matrix employs row and column data and clock controls to individually update those latches requiring update.
摘要:
An information handling system includes a processor with an instruction issue queue (IQ) that may perform age tracking operations. The issue queue IQ maintains or stores instructions that may issue out-of-order in an internal data store (IDS). The IDS organizes instructions in a queue position (QPOS) addressing arrangement. An age matrix of the IQ maintains a record of relative instruction aging for those instructions within the IDS. The age matrix updates latches or other memory cell data to reflect the changes in IDS instruction ages during a dispatch operation into the IQ. During dispatch of one or more instructions, the age matrix may update only those latches that require data change to reflect changing IDS instruction ages. The age matrix employs row and column data and clock controls to individually update those latches requiring update.
摘要:
A method and apparatus are provided for dispatch group checkpointing in a microprocessor, including provisions for handling partially completed dispatch groups and instructions which modify system coherent state prior to completion. An instruction checkpoint retry mechanism is implemented to recover from soft errors in logic. The processor is able to dispatch fixed point unit (FXU), load/store unit (LSU), and floating point unit (FPU) or vector multimedia extension (VMX) instructions on the same cycle. Store data is written to a store queue when a store instruction finishes executing. The data is held in the store queue until the store instruction is checkpointed, at which point it can be released to the coherently shared level 2 (L2) cache.
摘要:
An information handling system includes a processor with an instruction issue queue (IQ) that may perform age tracking operations. The issue queue IQ maintains or stores instructions that may issue out-of-order in an internal data store IDS. The IDS organizes instructions in a queue position (QPOS) addressing arrangement. An age matrix of the IQ maintains a record of relative instruction aging for those instructions within the IDS. The age matrix updates latches or other memory cell data to reflect the changes in IDS instruction ages during a dispatch operation into the IQ. During dispatch of one or more instructions, the age matrix may update only those latches that require data change to reflect changing IDS instruction ages. The age matrix employs row and column data and clock controls to individually update those latches requiring update. The issue queue may selectively clock a row and a column of cells of the age matrix that correspond to a dispatched instruction's queue position while leaving other cells unclocked to conserve power.
摘要:
Issue logic identifies a simple fixed point instruction, included in a unified payload, which is ready to issue. The simple fixed point instruction is a type of instruction that is executable by both a fixed point execution unit and a load-store execution unit. In turn, the issue logic determines that the unified payload does not include a load-store instruction that is ready to issue. As a result, the issue logic issues the simple fixed point instruction to the load-store execution unit in response to determining that the simple fixed point instruction is ready to issue and determining that the unified payload does not include a load-store instruction that is ready to issue.
摘要:
An information handling system includes a processor with an instruction issue queue (IQ) that may perform age tracking operations. The issue queue IQ maintains or stores instructions that may issue out-of-order in an internal data store IDS. The IDS organizes instructions in a queue position (QPOS) addressing arrangement. An age matrix of the IQ maintains a record of relative instruction aging for those instructions within the IDS. The age matrix updates latches or other memory cell data to reflect the changes in IDS instruction ages during a dispatch operation into the IQ. During dispatch of one or more instructions, the age matrix may update only those latches that require data change to reflect changing IDS instruction ages. The age matrix employs row and column data and clock controls to individually update those latches requiring update. The issue queue may selectively clock a row and a column of cells of the age matrix that correspond to a dispatched instruction's queue position while leaving other cells unclocked to conserve power.
摘要:
Issue logic identifies a simple fixed point instruction, included in a unified payload, which is ready to issue. The simple fixed point instruction is a type of instruction that is executable by both a fixed point execution unit and a load-store execution unit. In turn, the issue logic determines that the unified payload does not include a load-store instruction that is ready to issue. As a result, the issue logic issues the simple fixed point instruction to the load-store execution unit in response to determining that the simple fixed point instruction is ready to issue and determining that the unified payload does not include a load-store instruction that is ready to issue.