Rapid pipeline control using a control word and a steering word

Details Rapid pipeline control using a control word and a steering word Rapid pipeline control using a control word and a steering word

1997-03-19

1999-07-27

Lall, Parshotam S.

395391, 39580023, 395561, G06F 938

Patent

active

059304928

ABSTRACT:
A pipeline conveys a control word and a steering word with each instruction. The control word specifies the control signals for the instruction at each pipeline stage. The steering word specifies the routing of the instruction through the pipeline stages. Many pipeline modifications may be made by modifying the control words and steering words corresponding to the instructions. According to one embodiment, the execution pipeline within the microprocessor employs the control word/steering word method of pipeline control. Certain instructions do not perform any multiplication operations, and so may bypass the multiply pipeline stage or stages. Similarly, other instructions do not perform addition operations and may bypass the adder pipeline stage or stages. Still further, data movement and control update type instructions may bypass the pipeline all together and move directly to the result queue in the FPU. Additional instructions may be implemented in many cases by adding a control word and steering word for the instructions into the control word/steering word generation. Additional instructions may be implemented in this manner if the hardware within the pipeline can be used to implement the instruction.

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