Instruction look-ahead system and hardware
AssigneeCray Inc.
InventorsBurton J. Smith, Robert L. Alverson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system for executing instructions in a computer. Each instruction has a look-ahead code indicating the number of instructions after which may be executed before its own execution is completed. The look-ahead code increments a counter associated with the instruction one past the look-ahead location. The instruction then begins execution. The next instructions will also be cleared to begin execution if they are less than the look-ahead code away from the current instruction. A large number of instructions can thus begin execution and be executing at the same time, thus increasing the speed of the computer operation.
Claims12
A method of executing computer code having a set of instructions comprising:
- reading the value of a look ahead code associated with the current instruction;
- incrementing a counter at the location specified by the look ahead code;
- reading the value in a counter associated with the current instruction;
- executing current instruction if the counter associated with it has a value of zero;
- waiting to execute the current instruction if the counter associated with it has a non-zero and executing the code when the counter value reaches zero;
- decrementing the counter at the location specified by the look ahead code after the instruction has been executed.
A method of ensuring proper operation of a set of instructions for a computer program comprising:
- storing each instruction in an instruction set memory having a register for each instruction;
- reading the value stored in a counter associated with each register;
- executing the instruction if the value of the counter is zero;
- not executing the instruction if the value in the counter is a number other than zero.
An apparatus for ensuring proper operation of a set of instructions, comprising:
- an instruction set memory composed of a plurality of registers storing respective instructions therein;
- a counter associated with each register;
- and
- a connection between each register and its associated counter for reading the value of its counter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.