Electrical computers and digital processing systems: processing – Processing control – Branching
Patent
1997-10-28
2000-02-29
Pan, Daniel H.
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: processing
Processing control
Branching
712 23, 712 24, 712200, 712203, 712205, 712206, 712286, 712211, 712212, 712215, 712234, 712241, 395709, G06F 938, G06F 940
Patent
active
060322527
ABSTRACT:
A superscalar microprocessor implements a repeated string instruction by putting the microcode unit in a continuous loop. The microcode sequence that implements the repeated string operation includes a conditional-exit instruction rather than a conditional branch and decrement microcode instruction. A conditional-exit instruction decrements a loop count value and conveys a termination signal to a microcode unit when a termination condition is detected. Because several iterations of the instructions that implement the string instruction may be dispatched before the conditional-exit instruction is evaluated, the additional iterations of the microcode loop are canceled. By eliminating the conditional branch and decrement microcode instruction, a loop iteration may be executed in a single clock cycle by three functional units.
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McMinn Brian D.
Petro Anthony M.
Advanced Micro Devices , Inc.
Kivlin B. Noel
Nguyen Dzung
Pan Daniel H.
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