System and method for supporting precise exceptions in a data processor having a clustered architecture

For use in a data processor having a clustered architecture, said data processor comprising a plurality of clusters, each said cluster comprising an instruction execution pipeline, each said instruction execution pipeline comprising N processing stages, where N is a positive, non-zero integer, each of said N processing stages capable of performing at least one of a plurality of execution steps associated with instructions being executed by said clusters, a method of operating said data processor comprising the steps of:

• monitoring each said instruction execution pipeline to detect exception conditions associated with said executing instructions;
• detecting an exception condition associated with one of said executing instructions, said one of said executing instructions issued at time t0;
• and
• generating an exception in response to said exception condition upon completed execution, within each of said clusters, of earlier ones of said executing instructions, said earlier ones of said executing instructions issued at time preceding t0.

A processing system comprising:

• a data processor having a clustered architecture;
• a memory associated with said data processor;
• a plurality of peripheral circuits associated with said data processor for performing selected functions in association with said data processor, wherein said data processor comprises:
• an instruction cache;
• a plurality of clusters, each said cluster comprising an instruction execution pipeline, each said instruction execution pipeline comprising N processing stages, where N is a positive, non-zero integer, each of said N processing stages capable of performing at least one of a plurality of execution steps associated with instructions being executed by said clusters;
• and
• an interrupt and exception controller that (i) detects an exception condition associated with one of said executing instructions, said one of said executing instructions issued at time t0, and (ii) generates an exception in response to said exception condition upon completed execution, within each of said clusters, of earlier ones of said executing instructions, said earlier ones of said executing instructions issued at time preceding t0.