Executing a composite scalar-vector VLIW instruction having a repeat field

A method of executing multiple composite very large instruction word (VLIW) instructions, the method comprising:

• storing in a memory, the multiple composite VLIW instructions, wherein the multiple composite VLIW instructions comprise a first composite VLIW instruction and a second composite VLIW instruction;
• obtaining the multiple composite VLIW instructions from the memory and decoding the multiple composite VLIW instructions to determine an operation to perform;
• and
• using a composite VLIW instruction execution unit, executing the multiple composite VLIW instructions to perform the operation, wherein the composite VLIW instruction execution unit comprises a detector circuit which determines whether a respective REPEAT (REP) field in each of the multiple composite VLIW instructions is REP=1 or REP>1, and
• wherein in response to the detector circuit determining that the REP field in the first composite VLIW instruction is REP=1, the composite VLIW instruction execution unit executes each atom in the first composite VLIW instruction at a single iteration, and
• wherein in response to the detector circuit determining that the REP field in the second composite VLIW instruction comprises a value of REP>1, the composite VLIW instruction execution unit executes each vector atom of the second composite VLIW instruction for a number of iterations greater than one that is equal to the value of the REP field and executes each scalar atom of the second composite VLIW instruction for a single iteration.

A programmable non-transitory storage medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method of executing multiple composite very large instruction word (VLIW) instructions, the method comprising:

• storing in a memory, the multiple composite VLIW instructions, wherein the multiple composite VLIW instructions comprise a first composite VLIW instruction and a second composite VLIW instruction;
• obtaining the multiple composite VLIW instructions from the memory and decoding the multiple composite VLIW instructions to determine an operation to perform;
• and
• using a composite VLIW instruction execution unit, executing the multiple composite VLIW instructions to perform the operation, wherein the composite VLIW instruction execution unit comprises a detector circuit which determines whether a respective REPEAT (REP) field in each of the multiple composite VLIW instructions is REP=1 or REP>1,
• wherein in response to the detector circuit determining that the REP field in the first composite VLIW instruction is REP=1, the composite VLIW instruction execution unit executes each atom in the first composite VLIW instruction at a single iteration, and
• wherein in response to the detector circuit determining that the REP field in the second composite VLIW instruction comprises a value of REP>1, the composite VLIW instruction execution unit executes each vector atom of the second composite VLIW instruction for a number of iterations greater than one that is equal to the value of the REP field and executes each scalar atom of the second composite VLIW instruction for a single iteration.