Data processing: software development – installation – and managem – Software program development tool – Translation of code
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-09
2001-07-24
Follansbee, John A. (Department: 2154)
Data processing: software development, installation, and managem
Software program development tool
Translation of code
C712S209000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266807
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method for executing instructions in a microprocessor, and particularly but not exclusively to such a method for use in a portable communications device such as a mobile telephone.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a mobile telephone, data to be transmitted or received over an air interface requires complex processing according to dedicated algorithms.
In order to facilitate such complex processing, in addition to having a microcontroller for providing control of the features and functions of the mobile telephone, a mobile telephone typically has a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), dedicated to handling the transmitted and received data.
A program is written for the microcontroller, incorporating the desired features and functions. This program may be written in a virtual (intermediate) language, using a software tool. The microcontroller has a translator (on- or off-chip), which translates the virtual language into native machine language as the program is executed.
In contrast to the above, a short amount of code is written for the DSP, containing the required algorithms. This code must be written in native machine language, because software compilers cannot currently handle DSP-like code, and because the algorithms require fast processing, not compatible with a virtual language using translators.
If a new DSP is designed for use in a mobile telephone, a microcontroller is also designed or selected for the unit. Typically a number of software teams are involved in order to provide all of the above software. A team is required to write the virtual language program, another team is required to write the code for the DSP. Yet another team must write a translator for the microcontroller and the DSP.
A problem with this arrangement is that with new generations of mobile telephones being produced at a rapid rate, with new microcontrollers and DSPs, the overhead in software development time can add a significant delay to the completion of a new mobile telephone design.
This invention seeks to provide a method and system for executing instructions in a microprocessor which mitigate the above mentioned disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for executing instructions on an application-specific microprocessor having a machine language, comprising the steps of: providing microcontroller-like instructions in a non-directly executable format, for execution on the processor; compiling high-level DSP-like functions into DSP-like instructions into a directly executable format for execution on the processor; combining the microcontroller-like instructions with the DSP-like instructions to produce a program, the program having a non-directly executable portion and a directly executable portion respectively; executing the program by pre-processing the non-directly executable portion of the program into directly executable instructions, and by directly executing the directly executable portion of the program, such that the application-specific microprocessor executes both the DSP-like instructions and the microcontroller-like instructions.
Preferably the non-directly executable format is a virtual language, and the pre-processing is a virtual-to-machine language translation, arranged to translate the non-directly executable portion of the program into the machine language.
The method preferably further comprises the step of compressing the virtual language microcontroller-like instructions before the combining step; and the pre-processing step preferably also includes a decompression step arranged to decompress the non-directly executable portion of the program before the translation step.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a microprocessor system for executing instructions, comprising:- an application-specific microprocessor having a machine language; a memory arranged for storing a program for execution on the processor, the program having a non-directly executable portion containing microcontroller-like instructions in a non-directly executable format, and a directly executable portion containing DSP-like instructions in the machine language; and a preprocessing unit arranged to convert the non-directly executable portion into machine language instructions; wherein when the program is executed on the processor, the non-directly executable portion of the program is pre-processed by the pre-processing unit into machine language instructions, and directly executable portion of the program is directly executed, such that the processor executes both the DSP-like instructions and the microcontroller-like instructions.
Preferably the non-directly executable format is a virtual language, and the pre-processing unit is a virtual-to-machine language translator, arranged to translate the non-directly executable portion of the program into the machine language.
The non-directly executable format is preferably a compressed virtual language, and the pre-processing unit includes a decompressor and a virtual-to-machine language translator, such that when the program is executed on the processor, the non-directly executable portion of the program is decompressed and then translated into machine language instructions.
Preferably the non-directly executable format is a compressed machine language format, and the pre-processing unit is a de-compression unit. The application-specific microprocessor is preferably incorporated in a mobile telephone.
In this way both DSP-like instructions and microcontroller-like instructions can be executed in a single processor.
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Michael P. Plezbert et al., Does “Just in Time” = “Better Late than Never”? CONFERENCE RECORD OF POPL ′97: the 24thACM SIGPLAN-SIGACT SYMPOSIUM ON PRINCIPLES OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES, PARIS, FRANCE, 15-17 Jan. 1997, ISBN 0-89791-853-3, 1997, NEW YORK, NY, USA, ACM, USA, pp. 120-131, XP002054081.
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Casteres Jean
McGarity Ralph
Steininger Franz
Follansbee John A.
Motorola Inc.
Parker Lanny L.
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