Vector processor configured to operate on variable length vectors using implicitly typed instructions

A processor, comprising:

• a vector register file comprising one or more vector registers to hold a varying number of elements;
• and
• a processing logic to implicitly type each of the varying number of elements in the vector register file,
• wherein, when a vector register element of the varying number of elements is written as a particular type by a first instruction and is subsequently read by a second instruction that expects a vector register of another type, behavior of result produced by the second instruction is undefined.

A processor, comprising:

• a vector register file comprising one or more vector registers to hold a varying number of elements;
• and
• a processing logic to implicitly type each of the varying number of elements in the vector register file,
• wherein the processing logic is to use separate storages for a same vector register, and wherein a storage is selected to hold elements of the vector register based on a type of the elements stored in the vector register, and
• wherein the processing logic is to identify and copy to a memory and restore from the memory contents of the storage that was last written to.

A processor, comprising:

• a vector register file comprising one or more vector registers to hold a varying number of elements;
• and
• a processing logic to implicitly type each of the varying number of elements in the vector register file,
• wherein the processing logic is to keep track of the last type written to each vector register of the one or more vector registers,
• wherein the processing logic is further to use separate storages for a same vector register, and wherein a storage is selected to hold elements of the vector register based on a type of the elements stored in the vector register, and
• wherein the processing logic is to employ the last type written to each vector register to save and then later restore values in the one or more vector registers.

A processor, comprising:

• a vector register file comprising one or more vector registers to hold a varying number of elements;
• and
• a processing logic to implicitly type each of the varying number of elements in the vector register file,
• wherein the processing logic is to execute an instruction to copy contents of the vector registers to a memory and correspondingly to restore the contents from the memory even if the type of the last write to the vector registers is unknown.

A method comprising:

• holding, by a vector register file comprising one or more vector registers of a processor, a varying number of elements;
• and
• implicitly typing, by a processing logic of the processor, each of the varying number of elements in the vector register file,
• wherein, responsive to determining that a vector register element of the varying number of elements is written as a particular type by a first instruction and is subsequently read by a second instruction that expects a vector register of another type, the processing logic is to raise an exception.

A method comprising,

• holding, by a vector register file comprising one or more vector registers of a processor, a varying number of elements;
• and
• implicitly typing, by a processing logic of the processor, each of the varying number of elements in the vector register file,
• wherein, when a vector register element of the varying number of elements is written as a particular type by a first instruction and is subsequently read by a second instruction that expects a vector register of another type, behavior of result produced by the second instruction is undefined.

A method comprising:

• holding, by a vector register file comprising one or more vector registers of a processor, a varying number of elements;
• implicitly typing, by a processing logic of the processor, each of the varying number of elements in the vector register file;
• using, by the processing logic, separate storage for a same vector register, and wherein a storage is selected to hold elements of the vector register based on a type of the elements stored in the vector register;
• and
• identifying and copying, by the processing logic, to a memory and restoring from the memory contents of the storage that was last written to.

A method comprising:

• holding, by a vector register file comprising one or more vector registers of a processor, a varying number of elements;
• implicitly typing, by a processing logic of the processor, each of the varying number of elements in the vector register file;
• using, by the processing logic, separate storage for a same vector register, and wherein a storage is selected to hold elements of the vector register based on a type of the elements stored in the vector register;
• keeping track, by the processing logic, of a last type written to each vector register of the one or more vector registers;
• and
• employing, by the processing logic, the last type written to each vector register to save and then later restore values in the one or more vector registers.

A method comprising:

• holding, by a vector register file comprising one or more vector registers of a processor, a varying number of elements;
• implicitly typing, by a processing logic of the processor, each of the varying number of elements in the vector register file;
• and
• executing an instruction to copy contents of the vector registers to a memory and correspondingly to restore the content from the memory even if the type of the last write to the vector registers is unknown.