Electrical computers and digital processing systems: processing – Processing control – Arithmetic operation instruction processing
Patent
1997-06-11
1999-12-28
An, Meng-Ai T.
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: processing
Processing control
Arithmetic operation instruction processing
708520, 708586, G06F 738
Patent
active
060095113
ABSTRACT:
A superscalar microprocessor appends a tag value to each floating point number. The tag value indicates whether the corresponding floating point number is a normal floating point number or a special floating point number. Additionally, the tag value indicates the type of special floating point number represented by the corresponding floating point number. The tag value is stored with the floating point number in a register file of the floating point unit. Tag values are also generated for floating point numbers read from memory. When a floating point core of a floating point unit receives operands from either the register file or memory, the floating point core examines the tag values to determine whether each operand is a normal floating point number or a special floating point number. If either operand is a special floating point number, the floating point core determines the type of special floating point number and applies any applicable special rules. By appending tag values to each floating point number, the floating point unit can quickly determine which floating point numbers are special floating point numbers and the type of special floating point number. This reduces the time necessary to identify floating point numbers and expedites the execution of floating point instructions.
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Ahmed Ashraf
Lynch Thomas W.
Advanced Micro Devices , Inc.
An Meng-Ai T.
Kivlin B. Noel
Merkel Lawrence J.
Patel Gautam R.
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