Patent ID: 6795842
Filing Date: 2004-09-21
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method of comparing two n-bit binary numbers with a power of two threshold (2k), the method comprising the steps of:generating n propagate (eq) and n generate (gt) signals, each of the n propagate and generate signals corresponding to a bit of the two n-bit binary numbers; comparing a first set of propagate and generate signals and generating a first output signal, the first output signal representing a comparison of k least significant bits of the two binary numbers; comparing a second set of propagate and generate signals and generating second and third output signals, the second output signal representing a comparison of n-k most significant bits of the two binary input numbers, the third output signal representing a much_greater_than comparison of the n-k most significant bits of the two binary numbers; and combining the first, second and third output signals to generate an output signal y>x+2k representing a comparison of the two binary numbers with the power-of-two threshold; wherein the comparison of the two binary numbers with the power-of-two threshold does not use a pre-addition operation on the binary numbers and the power-of-two threshold and does not use an exclusive-OR logic operation.