Synchronization of execution threads on a multi-threaded processor

A multi-threaded processor system, comprising:

• a plurality of data processing cores configured to synchronously execute multiple threads of a group of threads of a single program of instructions on the plurality of data processing cores;
• an instruction decode unit configured to decode instructions from the program, and to determine a next instruction of the program to be executed by each of the threads of the group of threads and responsive to reaching a branch point in the program in which at least one of the threads of the group of threads branches around the branch point, to generate an indication;
• and
• a control core coupled with the instruction decode unit and configured to receive the indication and to control which threads are to execute on which of the plurality of data processing cores, and to put the thread of the group of threads that will branch around the branch point into a wait state,
• to swap in another thread of the group of threads to be synchronously executed and to resume execution after other threads of the group of threads have either branched over the branch point or execute the program instructions in the branch, the execution being synchronous for the threads of the group of threads on the plurality of data processing cores;
• wherein the control core is operable to swap threads executing on the plurality of processing cores on each clock cycle of a clock provided to the plurality of processing cores.

A method of multi-threaded processing in a multi-threaded processor, comprising:

• synchronously executing multiple threads of a group of threads of a single program of instructions on a plurality of data processing cores;
• decoding instructions from the program and determining a next instruction of the program to be executed by each of the threads of the group of threads;
• responsive to reaching a branch point in the program, in which at least one of the threads of the group of threads is to branch around the branch point while at least one other of the threads of the group of threads is to execute the instructions branched over by the at least one of the threads of the group of threads, putting the thread of the group of threads that will branch around the branch point into a wait state;
• and
• swapping in another thread of the group of threads to be synchronously executed, and resuming synchronous execution of the threads of the group of threads after all of the threads of the group of threads execute the same instruction of the program again;
• wherein the multi-threaded processor is operable to swap threads executing on the plurality of data processing cores on each clock cycle of a clock provided to the plurality of data processing cores.