Patent ID: 6604188
Filing Date: 2003-08-05
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
The method of processor execution of a VLIW molecule, said VLIW molecule including an atom whose execution requires a multiple cycle operation, said processor containing a pipeline and a pipeline control unit, comprising the steps of:determining if an atom presented via said pipeline for execution by a functional execution unit specifies an operation requiring multiple cycles requiring completion without interruption between cycles, thereby defining a multi-cycle atom, and, if affirmative, notifying said pipeline control unit that a multi-cycle atom has been presented for execution and flushing said pipeline of all VLIW instructions upon detection of said multi-cycle atom operation; copying the address of said molecule containing said multi-cycle atom; executing said multi-cycle atom to complete a first part of said multiple operation; marking said copy of said address of said VLIW molecule with an indicium for said multi-cycle atom, said indicium indicative of a second part of said multi-cycle operation; asserting said marked copy of said address of said molecule into said pipeline to reassert said multi-cycle atom for execution by said functional execution unit, wherein said execution performs a second part of said multi-cycle operation; detecting any marked indicium on said multi-cycle atom when presented for execution and executing said multi-cycle atom in accordance with the respective indicium marked thereon to perform a second part of said multi-cycle operation.