Method and apparatus for dynamically replacing legacy instructions with a single executable instruction utilizing a wide datapath
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsMichael Gschwind, Balaram Sinharoy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A processing system and method includes a predecoder configured to identify instructions that are combinable to form a single, executable internal instruction. Instruction storage is configured to merge instructions that are combinable. An instruction execution unit is configured to execute the single, executable internal instruction on a hardware wide datapath.
Claims19
A processing system, comprising:
- a predecoder configured to identify instructions that are combinable to form a single, executable internal instruction;
- an instruction storage;
- and
- a processor configured to merge instructions that are combinable, the processor comprising:
- an instruction execution unit configured to execute the single, executable internal instruction on a hardware wide datapath;
- wherein the identified instructions are configured to execute on a legacy system using a smaller architectural width than the processing system.
A processing system for merging instructions for execution on a hardware wide datapath, the processing system comprising:
- a predecoder configured to identify candidate architected instructions for merging from memory storage;
- and
- a processor including:
- an instruction decoder configured to replace a set of acceptable architected candidate instructions with a single, executable internal instruction;
- and
- at least one execution unit configured to execute the single, executable internal instruction on the hardware wide datapath;
- wherein the identified instructions are configured to execute on a legacy system using a smaller architectural width than the processing system.
A method for merging instructions for execution on a wide datapath, the method comprising:
- identifying candidate architected instructions for merging;
- replacing a set of acceptable architected candidate instructions with a single, executable wide datapath internal instruction;
- and
- issuing the single, executable wide datapath internal instruction to a hardware wide datapath execution unit for execution;
- wherein the identified candidate architected instructions are configured to execute on a legacy system using a smaller architectural width than a processing system executing the method.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.