Processor in which register number translation is carried out

A processor wherein an instruction with a register number specified by said instruction different from the number of a physical register to be actually used may be executed and a slide instruction changes translation of a register number specified by an instruction into the number of a physical register, said processor having an instruction decoder which is used for decoding a plurality of instructions in parallel and provided with:

• a first register number translator for translating a register number specified by each of said instructions being decoded in parallel into the number of a physical register in accordance with register number translation prior to a change caused by a slide instruction for updating translation of a register number specified by an instruction into the number of a physical register on the assumption that said instructions being decoded in parallel do not include said slide instruction;
• and
• a second register number translator for translating a register number specified by each of said instructions being decoded in parallel into the number of a physical register in accordance with register number translation after a change caused by a slide instruction for updating translation of a register number specified by an instruction into the number of a physical register on the assumption that said instructions being decoded in parallel include said slide instruction;
• and
• a translation result switching unit which is used for switching a result of translation produced by said instruction decoder from a result produced by said first register number translator for instructions preceding a slide instruction in an original program instruction sequence to a result produced by said second register number translator for instructions succeeding said slide instruction in said original program instruction sequence when a result of decoding said instructions indicates that said slide instruction is included among said instructions.

A processor also for executing an instruction with a register number specified by said instruction different from the number of a physical register to be actually used and executing a slide instruction for changing translation of a register number specified by an instruction into the number of a physical register, said processor having an instruction decoder which is used for decoding a plurality of instructions in parallel and provided with:

• means for detecting existence of slide instruction among said instructions being decoded in parallel;
• resister number translation means for translating register number specified by an instruction into the number of a physical register and for updating register number translation of a register number specified by an instruction into the number of a physical register upon detection of a slide instruction;
• and
• a means for detecting existence of an instruction referencing a register and following a detected slide instruction among said instructions being decoded in parallel in an original program instruction sequence,
• wherein, by having said instruction decoder re-decode instructions following said instruction referencing a register, a register number specified by each of said re-decoded instructions is translated into the number of physical register in accordance with said updated register number translation.

A processor which is provided with an instruction decoder for decoding an instruction prior to execution of said instruction to determine what is to be executed for said instruction and is capable of executing a register specifying instruction with a register number specified by said register specifying instruction different from the number of a physical register to be actually used;

• wherein said instruction decoder has:
• a register number translation unit for translating a register number specified by an instruction into the number of a physical register;
• a register rename unit for further replacing said number of a physical register temporarily by the number of a rename register;
• an instruction execution unit for executing an instruction in accordance with what is to be executed for said instruction and in accordance with the number of a rename register allocated by said register rename unit by allowing out of order processing;
• and
• an instruction completion unit used at the end of execution of a register write instruction for transferring the contents of a rename register with the number thereof replacing the number of a physical register to said physical register specified by a number obtained as a result of translation of a register number specified by said register write instruction in accordance with an original program instruction sequence.

A processor for executing instructions successively fetched in an order according to a program and for storing execution results in physical resisters, said processor comprising:

• an instruction decoder for successively decoding said instructions, including a register number translation unit for translating each of register numbers specified in decoded instructions into each number of a corresponding physical register;
• a register rename unit for replacing a translated number of a destination physical register, in which an execution result of a decoded instruction is to be finally stored, with a number of a rename register which is uniquely allocated to said decoded instruction for temporarily storing said execution result;
• an instruction execution means for executing said instructions and temporarily storing each of execution results into a corresponding rename register specified by said register rename unit, with permitting out-of-order execution;
• and
• an instruction completion means for successively purging the temporarily stored execution results from respective rename registers and for storing each of the execution results into a corresponding physical register specified by said register number translation unit in the order according to the program.