Port for fine tuning a central processing unit

Details Port for fine tuning a central processing unit Port for fine tuning a central processing unit

1996-09-16

1999-08-10

An, Meng-Ai T.

395500, 39580039, G06F 9455

Patent

active

059372036

ABSTRACT:
A central processing unit (hereinafter "CPU") has a number of functional units and a tuning port for modifying one or more parameters of the functional units (hereinafter "tunable units"). The combination (also called a "tuning assembly") formed by a tuning port and the tunable units allows a CPU to be fine tuned, i.e. take on different configuration profiles (as defined by the tunable units' parameters) for efficiently executing different application programs. Therefore, a CPU that includes a tuning assembly as described herein can take on a first configuration profile capable of most efficiently executing a first application program such as a computer game, and can take on a second configuration profile capable of most efficiently executing a second application program such as a spreadsheet and so on. The CPU's configuration profile can be changed even during the execution of an application program by changing the tunable units' parameters. Such fine tuning allows the CPU to execute different portions of an application program more efficiently than possible in the prior art.

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