System for executing microinstruction routines by using hardware to calculate initialization parameters required therefore based upon processor status and control parameters

A computer for processing macroinstructions, said computer comprising:

• macroinstruction storage means for storing said macroinstructions wherein said macroinstructions each comprise operands;
• microinstruction storage means for storing a plurality of microinstruction routines;
• and
• processor means, said processor means comprising:
• receiving means for receiving a macroinstruction from said macroinstruction storage means;
• a resolution table memory having stored therein a plurality of entries, each of said entries comprising a starting address of one of said plurality of microinstruction routines;
• addressing means, responsive to the received macroinstruction in said receiving means, for addressing said resolution table memory and causing it to supply to said microinstruction storage means the starting address of a microinstruction routine associated with said received macroinstruction;
• register means containing processor status and control
• hardware responsive to said processor status and control parameters and said received macroinstruction for calculating setup and initialization parameters required for the execution of said microinstruction routine associated with said received macroinstruction, said setup and initialization parameters comprising storage addresses of said operands and byte lengths of said operands;
• execution means connected to said receiving means and said microinstruction storage means, the execution means responsive to said setup and initialization parameters when execution said microinstruction routine associated with said received macroinstruction, and responsive to said received macroinstruction when executing said received macroinstruction directly without use of the hardware;
• and
• control means, responsive to said received macroinstruction, for determining whether to execute said received macroinstruction directly in said execution means or to execute the microinstruction routine associated with said received macroinstruction.