Patent
1997-03-12
1999-01-12
Ellis, Richard L.
395386, 395391, G06F 900
Patent
active
058599924
ABSTRACT:
An instruction alignment unit includes a byte queue configured to store instruction blocks. Each instruction block includes a fixed number of instruction bytes and identifies up to a maximum number of instructions within the fixed number of instruction bytes. Additionally, the instruction alignment unit is configured to form a pair of instruction lists: a dispatch list and a latch list. The dispatch list includes instruction locators corresponding to instructions within the instruction blocks stored in the byte queue. Additionally, the first three instructions from instructions blocks being received from the instruction cache during a particular clock cycle are appended to the dispatch list. The dispatch list is used to select instructions from the byte queue for dispatch to the decode units. The latch list is used for receiving instruction locators for the remaining instructions from the instruction blocks received from the instruction cache during the particular clock cycle. Furthermore, the latch list receives instruction locators from the dispatch list which correspond to instructions not selected for dispatch to the decode units. The latch list is stored until a succeeding clock cycle, in which the stored program-ordered list is used as a basis for forming the dispatch list during that succeeding clock cycle. The instruction identification information and instruction bytes corresponding to the instruction can be located by selecting the instructions corresponding to the instruction locators at the front of the dispatch list.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4044338 (1977-08-01), Wolf
patent: 4453212 (1984-06-01), Gaither et al.
patent: 4807115 (1989-02-01), Torng
patent: 4858105 (1989-08-01), Kuriyama et al.
patent: 4928223 (1990-05-01), Dao et al.
patent: 5053631 (1991-10-01), Perlman et al.
patent: 5058048 (1991-10-01), Gupta et al.
patent: 5129067 (1992-07-01), Johnson
patent: 5136697 (1992-08-01), Johnson
patent: 5226126 (1993-07-01), McFarland et al.
patent: 5226130 (1993-07-01), Favor et al.
patent: 5233696 (1993-08-01), Suzuki
patent: 5371864 (1994-12-01), Chuang
patent: 5535347 (1996-07-01), Grochowski et al.
patent: 5586276 (1996-12-01), Grochowski et al.
patent: 5600806 (1997-02-01), Brown et al.
patent: 5604909 (1997-02-01), JOshi et al.
patent: 5628021 (1997-05-01), Iadonato et al.
patent: 5644744 (1997-07-01), Mahin et al.
patent: 5673410 (1997-09-01), Kurisu
patent: 5680564 (1997-10-01), Divivier et al.
patent: 5748978 (1998-05-01), Narayan et al.
Intel, "Chapter 2: Microprocessor Architecture Overview," pages 2-1 through 2-4, 1994 Dec.
Michael Slater, "AMD's K5 Designed to Outrun Pentium," Microprocessor Report, vol. 8, No. 14, Oct. 24, 1994, 7 pages.
Sebastian Rupley and John Clyman, "P6: The Next Step?,"PC Magazine, Sep. 12, 1995, 16 pages.
Tom R. Halfhill, "AMD K6 Takes On Intel P6," BYTE, Jan. 1996, 4 pages.
Narayan Rammohan
Nayak Jagadish V.
Tran Thang M.
Advanced Micro Devices , Inc.
Ellis Richard L.
Kivlin B. Noel
Merkel Lawrence J.
Winder Patrice L.
LandOfFree
Instruction alignment using a dispatch list and a latch list does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Instruction alignment using a dispatch list and a latch list, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Instruction alignment using a dispatch list and a latch list will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1524073