公开(公告)号：US20170262285A1

公开(公告)日：2017-09-14

申请号：US15063651

申请日：2016-03-08

Applicant: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

Inventor： Andrew LUKEFAHR ,  Shruti PADMANABHA ,  Reetuparna DAS ,  Scott MAHLKE ,  Jiecao YU

IPC: G06F9/30

CPC classification number: G06F9/3834 ,  G06F9/3836 ,  G06F9/3861 ,  G06F9/3867

Abstract: Apparatus and a corresponding method for controlling a transition between use of first processing circuitry and second processing circuitry to execute program instructions are provided. Transition monitoring storage selects an entry for a load program instruction executed during the transition in dependence on a memory address from which a value is to be loaded and stores a program order timestamp for the load program instruction, unless a valid previously stored program order timestamp in the entry precedes the program order timestamp. Thus the oldest timestamp of an load instruction executed in the transition is held. At either the start or end (or both) of the transition the content of the transition monitoring storage is cleared. When a store program instruction is executed during the transition and when a further program order timestamp for the store program instruction indicates that the store program instruction precedes in program order a load program instruction already executed in the transition, program instructions which follow the store program instruction in the first and second processing circuitry are squashed and re-executed. Data hazards which could otherwise arise during the transition are thus avoided by the use of transition monitoring storage which is nevertheless conveniently small.