Electrical computers and digital processing systems: processing – Processing control – Context preserving (e.g. – context swapping – checkpointing,...
Patent
1997-12-12
2000-10-03
Eng, David Y.
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: processing
Processing control
Context preserving (e.g., context swapping, checkpointing,...
710 22, G06F 940, G06F 946
Patent
active
061287288
ABSTRACT:
A direct memory access and direct register access (DMA/DRA) controller and method are used on microprocessors, microcontrollers and digital signal processors which incorporate shadow register sets or register windows or both. The DMA/DRA controller is coupled to the processor's data paths so as to transfer data between the register and memory in burst and in cycle-steal modes. The DMA/DRA controller enables the processor to perform single-cycle register set save and restore operations by extending the effective depth of the shadow register set by creating virtual register sets in memory. The DMA/DRA subsystem interacts with the caches and other memory traffic controllers to perform the register set transfers before they are needed making use of otherwise unused external memory cycles. Using this invention, delays associated with register saving and restoring can be largely eliminated without the need for unduly large and costly internal sets of register files.
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Eng David Y.
Micro)n Technology, Inc.
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