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US 6,185,671 B2Granted
Checking data type of operands specified by an instruction using attributes in a tagged array architecture
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsVladimir Pentovski, Gerald Bennett, Stephen A. Fischer, Eric Heit, Glenn J. Hinton, Patrice L. Roussel
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Abstract
The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for matching data types of operands in an instruction. A type code of an operand used by the instruction is determined. An attribute value of a storage element which corresponds to the operand is read from a speculative array. This attribute value is then compared with the type code.
Claims30
An apparatus comprising:
- a speculative array to store a set of attributes corresponding to a set of architectural registers;
- a read circuit coupled to the speculative array to read an attribute value of a storage element corresponding to an operand of an instruction;
- and
- a match circuit coupled to the speculative array to compare the attribute value read from the speculative array and a type code of the operand specified by the instruction, the match circuit comprising:
- an override circuit to select the attribute value based on a select signal representing a dependency condition,
- a matching generator to generate the type code,
- a comparator coupled to the matching generator and the override circuit to compare the attribute value and the type code, the comparator generating tag fault information if there is a mismatch between the attribute value and the type code, and
- a dependency generator to generate the select signal.
5 more elements
A method comprising:
- storing a set of attributes corresponding to a set of architectural registers in a speculative array;
- reading an attribute value of a storage element corresponding to an operand of an instruction;
- and
- matching the attribute value read from the speculative array and a type code of the operand specified by the instruction, the matching comprising:
- selecting the attribute value based on a select signal representing a dependency condition,
- generating the type code,
- comparing the attribute value with the type code,
- generating tag fault information if there is a mismatch between the attribute value and the type code, and
- generating the select signal.
6 more elements
A processor comprising:
- an instruction decoder to decode an instruction;
- and
- a tagged array block coupled to the instruction decoder to perform type checking, the tagged array block comprising:
- a speculative array to store a set of attributes corresponding to a set of architectural registers,
- a read circuit coupled to the speculative array to read an attribute value of a storage element corresponding to an operand of the instruction, and
- a match circuit coupled to the speculative array to compare the attribute value read from the speculative array and a type code of the operand specified by the instruction, the match circuit comprising:
- an override circuit to select the attribute value based on a select signal representing a dependency condition,
- a matching generator to generate the type code,
- a comparator coupled to the matching generator and the override circuit to compare the attribute value and the type code, the comparator generating tag fault information if there is a mismatch between the attribute value and the type code, and
- a dependency generator to generate the select signal.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.