US 5,206,945 AGranted

Single-chip pipeline processor for fetching/flushing instruction/data caches in response to first/second hit/mishit signal respectively detected in corresponding to their logical addresses

AssigneesHitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Micro Computer Engineering, Ltd.

InventorsTadahiko Nishimukai, Atsushi Hasegawa, Kunio Uchiyama, Ikuya Kawasaki, Makoto Hanawa

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Abstract

A data processor for executing instructions using operand data stored in a main memory includes an instruction control unit having a first associative memory storing instructions read out from the main memory, and an instruction controller reading out an instruction from the first associative memory when the instruction is present in the first associative memory and from the main memory when the instruction is not present in the first associative memory the instruction control unit produces an output to be executed. An instruction execution unit has a second associative memory that stores operand data read out from the main memory, and an instruction executioner executing the instruction by using operand data read out from the second associative memory when the operand data is present in the second associative memory and from the main memory when the operand data is not present in the second associative memory.

Claims42

Dependent claims

A single chip pipeline data processor for use with a main memory, in which operand data and instructions are stored, comprising:

an instruction decoder decoding instructions and generating decoded results;
an execution unit executing instructions in accordance with said decoded results;
an instruction address generator generating an instruction read demand signal and a logical instruction address;
an instruction cache memory coupled to said instruction address generator and storing a plurality of logical instruction addresses and instructions corresponding to said logical instruction addresses and generating an instruction hit signal when said logical instruction address supplied from said instruction address generator is present in said instruction cache memory, wherein said instruction hit signal inhibits access to the main memory;
an operand address generator generating an operand fetch demand signal and a logical operand address signal;
an operand cache memory coupled to said operand address generator and storing a plurality of logical operand addresses and operand data corresponding to said logical operand addresses and generating an operand hit signal when said logical operand address supplied from said operand address generator is present in said operand cache memory, wherein said operand hit signal inhibits access to said main memory;
an interface selector coupled to said instruction address generator and to said operand address generator, receiving said generated logical instruction address and said generated logical operand address, responding to said instruction read demand signal, said operand fetch demand signal, said instruction hit signal and said operand hit signal, and sending out said generated logical instruction address in response to the absence of said instruction hit signal and sending out said generated logical operand address in response to the absence of said operand hit signal;
an address translator coupled to said interface selector translating said logical addresses into physical addresses to be sent to the main memory, whereby the instruction address and operand address sent to said main memory are physical addresses obtained from said address translator;
and
circuitry having first and second outputs coupled to said instruction cache memory and said operand cache memory respectively, and responsive to data designated by one of said instructions, said circuitry responsive to a first bit of said designated data to provide a first clear signal on said first output, to a second bit of designated data to provide a second clear signal on said second output and to said first bit and second bit of said designated data to provide first and second clear signals on said first and second outputs respectively, said one instruction belonging to instructions decoded by said instruction decoder and executed by said data processor.

7 more elements

A single chip pipeline data processor for use with a main memory, in which operand data and instructions are stored, comprising:

an instruction decoder decoding instructions and generating decoded results;
an execution unit executing instructions in accordance with said decoded results;
an instruction address generator generating an instruction read demand signal and a logical instruction address;
an instruction cache memory coupled to said instruction address generator and storing a plurality of logical instruction addresses and instructions corresponding to said logical instruction addresses and generating an instruction hit signal when said logical instruction address supplied from said instruction address generator is present in said instruction cache memory, said instruction hit signal commanding that the instruction be read from said instruction cache memory;
an operand address generator generating an operand fetch demand signal and a logical operand address signal;
an operand cache memory coupled to said operand address generator and storing a plurality of logical operand addresses and operand data corresponding to said logical operand addresses and generating an operand hit signal when said logical operand address supplied from said operand address generator is present in said operand cache memory, said operand hit signal commanding that the operand data be read from said operand cache memory;
an interface selector coupled to said instruction address generator and to said operand address generator, receiving said generated logical instruction address and said generated logical operand, address responding to said instruction read demand signal, said operand fetch demand signal, said instruction hit signal and said operand hit signal, and sending out said generated logical instruction address in response to the absence of said instruction hit signal and sending out said generated logical operand address in response to the absence of said operand hit signal;
an address translator coupled to said interface selector translating said logical addresses into physical addresses to be sent to said main memory whereby the instruction address and operand address sent to said main memory are physical addresses obtained from said address translator;
and
circuitry having first and second outputs coupled to said instruction cache memory and said operand cache memory respectively, and responsive to data designated by one of said instructions, said circuitry responsive to a first bit of said designated data to provide a first clear signal on said first output, to a second bit of said designated data to provide a second clear signal on said second output and to said first bit and said second bit of said designated data to provide first and second clear signals on said first and second outputs respectively, said one instruction belonging to instructions decoded by said instruction decoder and executed by said data processor.

7 more elements

A data processor formed on a chip for use with a main memory, in which operand data and instructions are stored, comprising:

an instruction decoder decoding instructions and generating decoded results;
an execution unit executing instructions in accordance with said decoded results;
an instruction address generator generating an instruction address;
an instruction cache memory coupled to said instruction address generator and storing a plurality of instruction addresses and instructions corresponding to said instruction addresses;
an operand address generator generating an operand address;
an operand cache memory coupled to said operand address generator and storing a plurality of operand addresses and operand data corresponding to said operand address;
an interface selector coupled to said instruction address generator and to said operand address generator sending out either one of said generated instruction address and said generated operand address to said main memory in response to the absence of an instruction hit signal or in response to the absence of an operand hit signal;
and
circuitry having first and second outputs coupled to said instruction cache memory and said operand cache memory respectively, and receiving data in response to execution of one of said instructions, said circuitry responsive to a first bit of said received data to provide a first clear signal on said first output that clears said instruction cache memory, to a second bit of said received data to provide a second clear signal on said second output that clears said operand cache memory and to said first bit and second bit of said received data to provide first and second clear signals on said first and second outputs respectively, said one instruction belonging to instructions decoded by said instruction decoder and executed by said data processor.

6 more elements

A data processor formed on a chip for use with a main memory, in which operand data and instructions are stored, comprising:

an instruction decoder decoding instructions and generating decoded results;
an execution unit executing instructions in accordance with said decoded results;
an instruction address generator generating a logical instruction address;
an instruction cache memory coupled to said instruction address generator and storing a plurality of logical instruction addresses and instructions corresponding to said logical instruction addresses and generating an instruction hit signal when said logical instruction address supplied from said instruction address generator is present in said instruction cache memory, said instruction hit signal commanding that the instruction be read from said instruction cache memory;
an operand address generator generating a logical operand address signal;
an operand cache memory coupled to said operand address generator and storing a plurality of logical operand addresses and operand data corresponding to said logical operand addresses and generating and operand hit signal when said logical operand address supplied from said operand address generator is present in said operand cache memory, said operand hit signal commanding that the operand be read from said operand cache memory;
an interface selector coupled to said instruction address generator and to said operand address generator, receiving said generated logical instruction addresses and said logical operand address, and selectively sending out said generated logical instruction address in response to the absence of said instruction his signal and sending out said generated logical operand address in response to the absence of said operand hit signal;
an address translator coupled to said interface selector and translating said logical addresses into physical addresses, whereby the instruction address and operand address sent to said main memory are physical addresses obtained from said address translator;
and
circuitry having first and second outputs coupled to said instruction cache memory and said operand cache memory respectively, and responsive to data designated by one of said instructions, said circuitry responsive to a first bit of said designated data to provide a first clear signal on said first output that clears said instruction cache memory, to a second bit of said designated data to provide a second clear signal on said second output that clears said operand cache memory and to said first bit and said second bit of said designated data to provide first and second clear signals on said first and second outputs respectively, said one instruction belonging to instructions decoded by said instruction decoder and executed by said data processor.

7 more elements

A single chip data processor for use with a main memory, in which operand data and instructions are stored, comprising:

an instruction decoder decoding instructions and generating decoded results;
an execution unit executing instructions in accordance with said decoded results;
an instruction address generator generating a logical instruction address corresponding to an instruction to be read;
an instruction demand signal generator generating an instruction demand signal;
an instruction cache memory, coupled to said instruction address generator and to said instruction demand signal generator, storing a plurality of logical instruction addresses and instructions corresponding to said logical instruction addresses, detecting in response to said generated logical instruction address whether an instruction corresponding to said generated logical instruction address is present in said instruction cache memory, providing the instruction corresponding to said generated logical instruction address from said instruction cache memory in case presence of the instruction within said instruction cache memory is detected, and generating a first signal in case absence of an instruction corresponding to said generated logical instruction address is detected, said first signal commanding that an instruction corresponding to said generated logical instruction address be read from said main memory;
an operand address generator generating a logical operand address signal corresponding to an operand data to be read;
an operand demand signal generator generating an operand demand signal;
an operand cache memory, coupled to said operand address generator and to said operand demand signal generator, storing a plurality of logical operand addresses and operand data corresponding to said logical operand addresses, detecting in response to said generated logical operand address whether an operand data corresponding to said generated logical operand address is present in said operand cache memory, providing the operand data corresponding to said generated logical operand address from said operand cache memory in case presence of the operand data within said operand cache memory is detected, and generating a second signal in case absence of an operand data corresponding to said generated logical operand address is detected, said second signal commanding that an operand data corresponding to said generated logical operand address be read from said main memory;
a main memory access circuitry, having inputs coupled to said instruction address generator and said operand address generator and an output coupled said main memory, said memory access circuit including;
(a) a selector selecting either one of said generated logical instruction address and said generated logical operand address;
and (b) an address translator, coupled to said selector, translating the selected logical address to a physical address to be supplied to said main memory, in response to one of said first and second signals, and
circuitry having first and second outputs coupled to said instruction cache memory and to said operand cache memory respectively, and responsive to data designated by one of said instructions, said circuitry responsive to a first bit of said designated data to provide a first clear signal on said first output that clears said instruction cache memory, to a second bit of said designated data to provide a second clear signal on said second output that clears said operand cache memory and to said first bit and second bit of said designated data to provide first and second clear signals on said first and second outputs respectively, said one instruction belonging to instructions decoded by said instruction decoder and executed by said processor.

9 more elements

A single chip data processor for use with a main memory, in which operand data and instructions are stored, comprising:

an instruction decoder decoding instructions and generating decoded results;
an execution unit executing instructions in accordance with said decoded results;
an instruction address generator generating a logical instruction address corresponding to an instruction to be read;
an instruction demand signal generator generating an instruction demand signal;
an instruction cache memory, coupled to said instruction address generator and to said instruction demand signal generator, storing a plurality of logical instruction addresses and instructions corresponding to said logical instruction addresses, detecting in response to said generated logical instruction address whether an instruction corresponding to said generated logical instruction address is present in said instruction cache memory, providing the instruction corresponding to said generated logical instruction address from said instruction cache memory in case presence of the instruction within said instruction cache memory is detected, and generating a first signal in case absence of an instruction corresponding to said generated logical instruction address is detected, said first signal commanding that an instruction corresponding to said generated logical instruction address be read from said main memory;
an operand address generator generating a logical operand address corresponding to an operand data to be read;
an operand demand signal generator generating an operand demand signal;
an operand cache memory, coupled to said operand address generator and to said operand demand signal generator, storing a plurality of logical operand addresses and operand data corresponding to said logical operand addresses, detecting in response to said generated logical operand address whether an operand data corresponding to said generated logical operand is present in said operand cache memory, providing the operand data corresponding to said generated logical operand address from said operand cache memory in case presence of the operand data within said operand cache memory is detected, and generating a second signal in case absence of an operand data corresponding to said generated logical operand address is detected, said second signal commanding that an operand data corresponding to said generated logical operand address be read from said main memory;
a physical address generator, coupled to said instruction address generator and said operand address generator, generating a physical address, the generated physical address being sent to said main memory in case at least one of said first signal and said second signal is generated from at least one of said instruction cache memory and said operand cache memory, said physical address generator including;
(a) a selector selecting either one of said generated logic instruction address and said generated logical operand address;
and (b) an address translator, coupled to said selector, translating the selected logical address to a physical address, and
circuitry having first and second outputs coupled to said instruction cache memory and to said operand cache memory respectively, and responsive to data designated by one of said instructions, said circuitry responsive to a first bit of said designated data to provide a first clear signal on said first output that clears said instruction cache memory, to a second bit of said designated data to provide a second clear signal on said second output that clears said operand cache memory, and to said first bit and said second bit of said designated data to provide first and second clear signals on said first and second outputs respectively, said one instruction belonging to instructions decoded by said instruction decoder and executed by said data processor.

9 more elements

A single chip data processor for use with a main memory, in which operand data and instructions are stored, comprising:

an instruction decoder decoding instructions and generating decoded results;
an execution unit executing instructions in accordance with said decoded results;
an instruction address generator generating a logical instruction address;
an instruction demand signal generator generating an instruction demand signal;
an instruction cache memory, coupled to said instruction address generator and to said instruction demand signal generator, storing a plurality of logical instruction addresses and instructions corresponding to said logical instruction addresses, detecting in response to said generated logical instruction address whether an instruction corresponding to said generated logical instruction address is present in said instruction cache memory, providing the instruction corresponding to said generated logical instruction address from said instruction cache memory in case presence of the instruction within said instruction cache memory is detected, and generating an instruction cache miss signal in case absence of an instruction corresponding to said generated logical instruction address is detected, said instruction cache miss signal indicating that an instruction corresponding to said generated logical instruction address is to be read from said main memory;
an operand address generator generating a logical operand address demand signal;
an operand demand signal generator generating an operand demand signal;
an operand cache memory, coupled to said operand address generator and to said operand demand signal generator, storing a plurality of logical operand addresses and operand data corresponding to said logical operand addresses, detecting in response to said generated logical operand address whether an operand data corresponding to said generated logical operand address is present in said operand cache memory, providing the operand data corresponding to said generated logical operand address from the operand cache memory in case presence of the operand data within said operand cache memory is detected, and generating an operand cache miss signal in case absence of an operand data corresponding to said generated logical operand address is detected, said operand cache miss signal indicating that an operand data corresponding to said generated logical operand address is to be read from said main memory;
a selector, coupled to said instruction address generator and to said operand address generator, selecting either one of said generated logical instruction address and said generated logical operand address, the selected logical address being used so as to access said main memory in case reading of an instruction or an operand data corresponding to said selected address from said main memory is indicated by one of said instruction miss hit signal and said operand miss hit signal;
an address translator, coupled to said selector, translating the selected logical address to a physical address to be sent to said main memory, whereby instruction addresses and operand addresses sent to said main memory are physical addresses obtained from said address translator;
and
circuitry having first and second outputs coupled to said instruction cache memory and to said operand cache memory respectively, and responsive to data designated by one of said instructions, said circuitry responsive to a first bit of said designated data to provide a first clear signal on said first output that clears said instruction cache memory, to a second bit of said designated data to provide a second clear signal on said second output that clears said instruction cache memory and to said first bit and said second bit of said designated data to provide first and second clear signals on said first and second outputs respectively, said one instruction belonging to instructions decoded by said instruction decoder and executed by said data processor.

9 more elements

A single chip data processor for use with a main memory, in which operand data and instructions are stored, comprising:

an instruction decoder decoding instructions and generating decoded results;
an execution unit executing instructions in accordance with said decoded results;
an instruction address generator generating a logical instruction address corresponding to an instruction to be read;
an instruction cache memory, coupled to said instruction address generator, storing a plurality of logical instruction addresses and instructions corresponding to said logical instruction addresses, detecting in response to said generated logical instruction address whether an instruction corresponding to said generated logical instruction address is present in said instruction cache memory, providing the instruction corresponding to said generated logical instructing address from said instruction cache memory in case presence of the instruction within said instruction cache memory is detected, and generating a first signal in case absence of an instruction corresponding to said generated logical instruction address is detected, said first signal requesting to read an instruction corresponding to said generated logical instruction address from said main memory;
an operand address generator generating a logical operand address corresponding to an operand data to be read;
an operand cache memory, coupled to said operand address generator, storing a plurality of logical operand addresses and operand data corresponding to said logical operand addresses, detecting in response to said generated logical operand address whether an operand data corresponding to said generated logical operand address is present in said operand cache memory, providing the operand data corresponding to said generated logical operand address from said operand cache memory in case presence of the operand data within said operand cache memory is detected, and generating a second signal in case absence of an operand data corresponding to said generated logical operand address is detected, said second signal requesting to read an operand data corresponding to said generated logical operand address from said main memory;
a main memory access circuit, coupled to said instruction address generator and to said operand address generator, effective to access main memory in case at least one of said first signal and said second signal requests reading one of said instruction corresponding to said generated logical instruction address and said operand data corresponding to said generated logical operand address from said main memory, said main memory access circuit including a selector and an address translator, said selector selectively activating one of a first signal transmission path for a signal related to said generated logical instruction address from said instruction address generator to said main memory and a second signal transmission path for a signal related to said generated logical operand address from said operand address generator to said main memory, said address translator interposed in said first and second signal transmission paths and translating logical addresses to physical addresses whereby instruction addresses and operand addresses sent from said main memory access circuit to said main memory are physical addresses obtained from said address translator;
and
circuitry having first and second outputs coupled to said instruction cache memory and to said operand cache memory respectively, and responsive to data designated by one of said instructions, said circuitry responsive to a first bit of said designated data to provide a first clear signal on said first output that clears said instruction cache memory, to a second bit of said designated data to provide a second clear signal on said second output that clears said operand cache memory and to said first bit and said second bit of said designated data to provide first and second clear signals on said first and second outputs respectively, said one instruction belonging to instructions decoded by said instruction decoder and executed by said data processor.

6 more elements

A data processor for use with a main memory, in which operand data and instructions are stored, comprising:

an instruction decoder decoding instructions and generating decoded results;
an execution unit executing instructions in accordance with said decoded results;
an instruction address generator generating an instruction address corresponding to an instruction to be read;
an instruction cache memory, coupled to said instruction address generator, storing a plurality of instruction addresses and instructions corresponding to said instruction addresses, detecting in response to said generated instruction address whether an instruction corresponding to said generated instruction address is present in said instruction cache memory, providing the instruction corresponding to said generated instruction address from said instruction cache memory in case presence of the instruction within said instruction cache memory is detected, and generating a first signal in case absence of an instruction corresponding to said generated instruction address is detected, said first signal requesting to read an instruction corresponding to said generated instruction address from said main memory;
an operand address generator generating an operand address corresponding to an operand data to be ready;
an operand cache memory, coupled to said operand address generator, storing a plurality of operand addresses and operand data corresponding to said operand addresses, detecting in response to said generated operand address whether an operand data corresponding to said generated operand address is present in said operand cache memory, providing the operand data corresponding to said generated operand address from the operand cache memory in case presence of the operand data within said operand cache memory is detected, and generating a second signal in case absence of an operand data corresponding to said generated operand address is detected, said second signal requesting to read an operand data corresponding to said generated operand address from said main memory;
a main memory access circuit, coupled to said instruction address generator and to said operand address generator, effective to access said main memory in case at least one of said first signal and said second signal is generated from one of said instruction cache memory and said operand cache memory, so as to read said instruction corresponding to said generated instruction address from said main memory in case said first signal is generated from said instruction cache memory and so as to read said operand data corresponding to said generated operand address from said main memory in case said second signal is generated from said operand cache memory;
and
circuitry having first and second outputs coupled to said instruction cache memory and to said operand cache memory respectively, and responsive to data designated by one of said instructions, said circuitry responsive to a first bit of said designated data to provide a first clear signal on said first output that clears said instruction cache memory, to a second bit of said designated data to provide a second clear signal on said second output that clears said operand cache memory and to said first and second bit of said designated data to provide first and second clear signals on said first and second outputs respectively, said one instruction belonging to instructions decoded by said instruction decoder and executed by said data processor.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/606,804Filed 31 Oct 1990 · continuation
Priority: JP 60-5051215 Mar 1985
Granted: 27 Apr 1993
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G06F 9/3802
Concurrent instruction execution, e.g. pipeline or look ahead: instruction prefetching
G06F 9/30047
To perform operations on memory: prefetch instructions; cache control instructions
G06F 9/3824
Concurrent instruction execution, e.g. pipeline or look ahead: operand accessing
G06F 12/0848
Cache with multiple tag or data arrays being simultaneously accessible: partitioned cache, e.g. separate instruction and operand caches