Patent
1997-03-19
1998-10-27
Treat, William M.
395386, 395387, 395388, 395389, 39580023, G06F 9302
Patent
active
058288732
ABSTRACT:
A microprocessor implements a hierarchical microcode implementation for floating point instructions. Floating point instructions are classified as microcode instructions. The microcode unit parses the floating point instructions into one or more floating point operations and one or more integer operations such as memory load operations. The floating point operations are conveyed to the floating point unit. The memory load operations load the floating point operands of the floating point operations. Floating point operands that are wider than integer operands are handled by multiple memory load operations. Each memory load operation loads a portion of the floating point operand. The portions of the floating point operand are combined is a queue in the floating point unit. When the floating point unit has received the floating point operation and the memory operands that comprise with the floating point operand, the floating point unit dispatches the floating point instruction for execution. Floating point instructions that are too complex to be completed in one pass through the floating point execution pipeline are further parsed into a plurality of floating point operations by the floating point unit.
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: 5125092 (1992-06-01), Presner
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: 5632023 (1997-05-01), White et al.
patent: 5651125 (1997-07-01), Witt et al.
patent: 5727177 (1998-03-01), McMinn et al.
Patterson, David A. et al., Computer Architecture A. Quanititative Approach, pp. 299-307.
Intel, "Chapter 2: Microprocessor Architecture Overview," pp. 2-1 through 2-4.
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.
Advanced Micro Devices , Inc.
Kivlin B. Noel
Treat William M.
LandOfFree
Assembly queue for a floating point unit does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Assembly queue for a floating point unit, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Assembly queue for a floating point unit will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1621642