Patent ID: 7809782
Filing Date: 2010-10-05
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for selecting a set of parameters from a parameter space of a contemplated implementation of a pipelined processor, for configuring the processor to generate an output word in response to each of a set of input words including by generating a coefficient for each term of a Taylor's series approximation, having specified degree, of one of the output word and a mantissa of the output word, where each of the input words is indicative of a different input value and the output word generated in response to said each of the input words is indicative of a Taylor's series approximation of a specified function of the input value, said method including the steps of: determining a mapping between each set of parameters in the parameter space and the area of an integrated circuit implementation of the pipelined processor; searching the parameter space to select a preferred set of the parameters that minimizes the area of the integrated circuit implementation subject to the constraints that each of the input word and the output word has specified format and that the preferred set of the parameters results in no more than a specified maximum error between the function of each of the input values and the approximation of the function of said each of the input values; and generating, within the pipelined processor, the output word based on the set of parameters.