METHOD AND COMPUTER DEVICE FOR HANDLING DATA CONDITIONALLY

Abstract: In a computer device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, an instruction set which uses a two-instruction sequence to store the result of a comparison is provided. The two-instruction sequence, which uses no branch instructions, does not need to wait for condition reso­ lution before storing conditional results. Additionally, it also is capable of implementing slightly more general operations than simply storing a zero or one value of a comparison. Basically, the instruction set in accordance with the invention compares two operands and unconditionally stores a zero, which repre­ sents a Boolean "false", into a selected destination. The in­ struction set then conditionally nullifies the instruction follow­ ing it, thus effecting a highly efficient execution of a sequence of instructions compared to the prior art.

Description: In a prior art computer with microprogramming, the control section of such a computer generally is provided with an autonomous read-only storage. Each time a program instruction begins, the control unit generates an address to its read-only storage derived from the function or operation code of the instruction. This address locates what may be the first of a series of words which supply the control signals to the computer for carrying out the particular instruction being processed. Each instruction in effect generates a transfer to a microsubroutine associated with it, and the resultant step-by-step operation of the machine corresponds to the execution of a program on a very detailed level. In such a computer in the prior art, program instructions generally comprise an operation code, i.e. , the opcode, together with information relative to the location of the operands, that is, the data to be operated on. These operands sometimes may also have additional operational information. The length of the program instructions may be relatively long or relatively short depending on the quantity of data involved. The operating codes generally indicate the operation to be performed. Once the length of the operating code is established, it is possible to have only a certain fixed set of different operating codes and related program instructions. However, not all the operating codes which may theoretically be expressed with a certain number of bits, i.e. , operating codes within the fixed set, are used to characterize program instructions for which the computer is provided with microprogramming resources. Generally, only a part or subset is used, and thus programming efficiency is degraded. Also in a prior art computer, the memory of the computer provides the largest hardware cost. Therefore, the key to hardware speed and minimum size lies in efficient use of the memory. Fixed instruction length computers require the same number of bits for each instruction word regardless of the simplicity or complexity of the operation to be executed. As an example, many bits can be wasted in instructions which specify simple operations, while many instructions can be wasted in complex operations where an instruction's capability is limited by its length. Therefore, it is desired to design a computer with an instruction set which can perform all applications most efficiently. To increase the efficiency of microprogramming in the prior art, the concept of optimizing compilers is used and implemented (1) to compile programming languages down to instructions that are as unencumbered as microinstructions in a large virtual address space and (2) to make the instruction cycle time as fast as the technology would allow. Computers having such optimized compilers are designed to have fewer instructions than those in the prior art, and what few instructions they do have are simple and would generally execute in one cycle. Such computers have been aptly named reduced instruction set computers (RISCs). Instructions that are part of a reduced instruction set in a RISC machine and that provide increased efficiency in a novel way have been invented and are described herein. Specifically, many programs have methods to evaluate a condition and to store the results of the evaluation into a Boolean variable. Most computer instruction sets in the prior art, however, can only use a condition, which is usually the result of a comparison, to affect a branching decision and not to materialize the condition as a value. An example of one of these prior art instruction sets is an instruction set which compiles a code that uses the condition to branch around the code that sets or clears bits. This instruction set is generally slow and involves conditional branches which can flush the pipeline of high-performance processors. Another example is a prior art instruction set which implements special instructions which put a bit which is the condition value into a register. This instruction set involves waiting until the condition is selected and resolved before storing the result. This operation, which uses different timing, is slower than selecting and storing the result of an arithmetic operation. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention as set forth in claim 1, an instruction set uses a two instruction sequence to store the result of a comparison. The two instruction sequence uses no branch instructions, and does not wait for condition resolution before storing results. It can also implement slightly more general operations than simply storing a zero or one value of a comparison. Basically, the novel instruction set compares two operands and unconditionally stores a zero, which represents a Boolean "false", into a selected destination. The instruction set also conditionally nullifies the instruction following it. The various features and advantages of the present invention may be more readily understood with reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows the instruction for compare and clear contained in the computer device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 shows the functional blocks in the computer device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention for implementing the instruction set of Figure 1. Functionally the purpose of an instruction set in the computer device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention is to compare the contents of two registers, clear a register, and conditionally execute a following instruction based on the result of the comparison. In other words, the contents of two general registers, for example, "rb" and "rc", are compared and a third general register "ra" is cleared to zero. The instruction in the next execution cycle following the comparison instruction is conditionally executed; it is nullified if the condition is satisfied. The condition may be any of the arithmetic conditions or their negations. This instruction for compare and clear, COMCLR, is denoted as follows: COMCLR, cf rb,rc,ra, where: cf is the arithmetic condition or its negation; rb and rc are the general registers whose contents are being compared; and ra is the general register being cleared, and has the format shown in Figure 1, namely, 02 / rb / rc / c / f / 44 / ra, where: 02 is a 6-bit field 120 identifying an arithmetic/logic class of instruction; rb is a 5-bit field 122 specifying general register "b" whose content is being compared (register source "b"); rc is a 5-bit field 124 specifying general register "c" whose content is being compared (register source "c"); c is a 3-bit condition specifier 126; f is a 1-bit condition negation specifier 128; 44 is a 7-bit operation code extension 130; and ra is 5-bit field 132 specifying general register "a" whose content is being cleared (register target "a"). In operation, the instruction set 110 proceeds as follows: 1. During the first cycle, T: a. sum the content of general register "rb" with the one's complement of general register "rc" and "1"; and b. assign "0" to general register "ra". 2. During the second cycle, T + 1: if the condition defined by (c,f) is met, then nullify the instruction being executed in this cycle T + 1. The operation of this compare and clear instruction set 110 is shown in Figure 2. There, contents of registers "rb" and "rc" (not shown) from a register file 210 are compared in an arithmetic-logic unit (ALU) 212. Specifically, the content of register "rb" is summed with the one's complement of the content of register "rc". A multiplexer (MUX) 214 provides an output 216 in response to an input 220 from the ALU 212, the instruction code 110 and a "0" input. This output 216 is transferred to the register file 210, where the contents of registers "rb" and "rc" are read in response to it 216. The result of the comparison in the ALU 212 is subjected to preselected conditions 218 and transferred to a sequencer control unit 222, which determines whether nullification of the next instruction is required, depending on the preselected conditions. This operation then provides a smooth, straightforward, and efficient method of unconditionally clearing a selected register in a computer device in accordance with the invention.

Claims: A method for handling data conditionally in a computer device comprising the steps of: fetching and comparing in accordance with a preselected condition (c) two selected values from a first ("b") and a second register ("c"), respectively; and clearing a third register ("a") unconditionally, said steps being performed within a single computer cycle. The method for handling data as in claim 1, further comprising the step of nullifying an instruction to be performed during a subsequent cycle immediately following said single computer cycle if said preselected condition is satisfied. The method according to one of the claims 1 to 3, wherein said condition is anyone of arithmetic conditions or their negations. A computer device for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: an instruction (110) further comprising: a. a first field (126) for specifying a preselected condition (c) in a comparison of two values; b. a second field (122) for specifying one of said two values; c. a third field (124) for specifying the other of said two values; and d. a fourth field (132) for specifying a register ("a") to be cleared unconditionally; wherein said first, second, third and fourth instruction fields are comprised in a single instruction which is performed in a single cycle of the computer; and means (212, 214, 216) responsive to said instruction (110) for accessing and clearing said register ("a") unconditionally. The computer device as in claim 4, further comprising: reading means (210) responsive to said second and third instruction fields (122, 124) of said instruction for reading said two values; arithmetic and logic means (212) coupled to said reading means (210) for comparing said two values; and sequence control means (222) responsive to said arithmetic and logic means (212) and said first field (126) for nullifying a code of a subsequent instruction to be performed in the next computer cycle immediately following said first computer cycle, if said preselected condition is met.

Inventors: BAUM, ALLEN J., FOTLAND, DAVID A., MILLER, TERRENCE C.
Applicants: HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY
Application year: 1986
Main classification: G06F9
IPC codes: G06F9