US 2008/0301421 A1Published application

Method of speeding up execution of repeatable commands and microcontroller able to speed up execution of repeatable commands

OwnerWen-Chi Hsu, Zhi-Wei Yang +2inventors

InventorsWen-Chi Hsu, Zhi-Wei Yang, Yu-Kuang Wu, Jia-Jou Tsai

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Abstract

A method to speed up the execution of repeatable commands and a microcontroller able to speed up the execution of repeatable commands are disclosed. When the microcontroller is to execute repeatable commands in a program, it temporarily stores repeatable commands to a storage unit. If the execution of the repeatable command loop continues, then the repeatable command loop is retrieved from the storage unit and executed at higher clock cycle frequency. At the start and end of the repeatable command loop are respectively defined by a starting point and an end point for determining whether the repeatable command loop should continue to execute. The microcontroller thereby speeds up the execution of the repeatable command and the performance thereof.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A microcontroller able to speed up the execution of repeatable commands, comprising

a command memory used to store a program to provide a program command, wherein the program includes at least a repeatable command loop;
a command register used to temporarily store the repeatable command loop;
a command selecting unit connected to the command memory and the command register so that the command memory retrieves the program command or retrieves the repeatable command loop from the command register;
a frequency selecting unit used to switch between a first frequency and a second frequency, wherein the second frequency is higher than the first frequency;
and
a command processor connected to the command register, the command selecting unit, and the frequency selecting unit, wherein the command processor copies the repeatable command loop to the command register so as to control the command selecting unit to retrieve the program commands or the repeatable command loop;
wherein when the command processor is to repeatedly execute the repeatable command loop, the command selecting unit is made to retrieve the repeatable command loop from the command register, and the frequency selecting unit provides the second frequency to process the repeatable command loop;
and
wherein when the command processor has no need to repeatedly execute the repeatable command loop, the command selecting unit retrieves the program command from the command memory and the frequency selecting unit provides the first frequency to process the program command.

6 more elements

The microcontroller able to speed up repeatable commands, comprising:

a command memory used to store a program to provide a program command, wherein the program includes at least a repeatable command loop;
a data memory, including
a universal data memory used to store data;
and
a scratchpad RAM used to store data or temporarily store the repeatable command loop;
a command selecting unit connected to the command memory and the command register so that the command memory retrieves the program command or so that the repeatable command loop is retrieved from the command register;
a frequency selecting unit used to select between a first frequency and a second frequency, wherein the second frequency is higher than the first frequency;
and
a command processor connected to the scratchpad RAM, the command selecting unit, and the frequency selecting unit so that the repeatable command loop can be copied to the scratchpad RAM, thereby controlling the command selecting unit to receive the program command or the repeatable command loop;
wherein when the command processor has to repeatedly executes the repeatable command loop, the command selecting unit retrieves the repeatable command loop from the scratchpad RAM and causes the frequency selecting unit to provide the second frequency to process the repeatable command loop;
and when the command processor has no need to repeatedly execute the repeatable command loop, the command selecting unit retrieves the program command from the command memory and the frequency selecting unit so that the frequency selecting unit provides the first frequency to process the program command.

8 more elements

A method of speeding up execution of repeatable commands, comprising

(a) retrieving a program command for a program from a command memory, wherein the program includes at least one repeatable command loop;
(b) processing the program command and detect whether it is a starting point of the repeatable command loop;
(c) if the command is at the starting point of the repeatable command loop, then copy the command to a command register;
(d) retrieving a subsequent program command;
(e) processing the subsequent program command and detect whether the subsequent command is at the end point of the repeatable command loop;
if the subsequent program command is not at the end point of the repeatable command loop, then copying the subsequent command and going back to step (d);
(f) if the subsequent program command is at the end point of the repeatable command loop, then detect whether the execution of the repeatable command loop continues;
(g) if the execution of the repeatable loop continues, then copy the program command to the command register and switch the clock cycle frequency from the first frequency to the second frequency, wherein the second frequency is higher than the first frequency;
and
(h) retrieving the repeatable command loop from the command register and executing the repeatable command loop at second frequency.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.