Abstract:
Methods and apparatuses are provided for increasing processor performance and energy saving via eliminating physical data movement to accomplish a move instruction. The apparatus comprises a first plurality of available physical registers mapped to a second plurality of logical registers, including a source logical register and a destination logical register. A renaming unit remaps the destination logical register to the same physical register mapping as the source logical register in response to a move instruction. In this way, the move instruction is effectively executed without moving data between physical registers. A method is provided for increasing processor performance and energy saving via eliminating physical data movement to accomplish a move instruction. The method comprises determining a mapping of a logical source register and a logical destination register to physical registers of a processor and then remapping the logical destination register to the same physical register mapping as the logical source register to affect an equivalent of the move instruction with actual data movement between physical registers.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to the field of information or data processor architecture. More specifically, this invention relates to the field of logical to physical register remapping. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    In any processor architecture, there exists a limited number of physical registers for storing instructions and data. Generally a data move operation reads a value out of one physical register (known as the source register) and writes that value into a second physical register (known as the destination register). Data move operations are common during floating-point or integer computations, and moving a value from one register to another register consumes operational cycles of the processor as well as power. Moreover, a data move operation is typically a scheduled task within a floating-point or integer unit, which prevents other instructions from being processed until the move is completed. Thus, each data move instruction, while necessary, reduces overall throughput and increases latency and power consumption in a processor or its operational units. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    An apparatus is provided for increasing processor performance and energy saving via eliminating physical data movement to accomplish a move instruction. The apparatus comprises a first plurality of available physical registers mapped to a second plurality of logical registers, including a source logical register and a destination logical register. A renaming unit remaps the destination logical register to the same physical register mapping as the source logical register in response to a move instruction. In this way, the move instruction is effectively executed without moving data between physical registers. 
         [0004]    A method is provided for increasing processor performance and energy saving via eliminating physical data movement to accomplish a move instruction. The method comprises determining a mapping of a logical source register and a logical destination register to physical registers of a processor and then remapping the logical destination register to the same physical register mapping as the logical source register to affect an equivalent of the move instruction with actual data movement between physical registers. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a simplified exemplary block diagram of processor suitable for use with the embodiments of the present disclosure; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a simplified exemplary block diagram of computational unit suitable for use with the processor of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  simplified exemplary block diagram illustrating physical register data move elimination according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram illustrating physical register data move elimination according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Thus, any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Moreover, as used herein, the word “processor” encompasses any type of information or data processor, including, without limitation, Internet access processors, Intranet access processors, personal data processors, military data processors, financial data processors, navigational processors, voice processors, music processors, video processors or any multimedia processors. All of the embodiments described herein are exemplary embodiments provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention which is defined by the claims. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary, the following detailed description or for any particular processor microarchitecture. 
         [0011]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a simplified exemplary block diagram is shown illustrating a processor  10  suitable for use with the embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the processor  10  would be realized as a single core in a large-scale integrated circuit (LSIC). In other embodiments, the processor  10  could be one of a dual or multiple core LSIC to provide additional functionality in a single LSIC package. As is typical, processor  10  includes an input/output (I/O) section  12  and a memory section  14 . The memory  14  can be any type of suitable memory. This would include the various types of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) such as SDRAM, the various types of static RAM (SRAM), and the various types of non-volatile memory (PROM, EPROM, and flash). In certain embodiments, additional memory (not shown) “off chip” of the processor  10  can be accessed via the I/O section  12 . The processor  10  may also include a floating-point unit (FPU)  16  that performs the float-point computations of the processor  10  and an integer processing unit  18  for performing integer computations. Additionally, an encryption unit  20  and various other types of units (generally  22 ) as desired for any particular processor microarchitecture may be included. 
         [0012]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a simplified exemplary block diagram of a computational unit suitable for use with the processor  10 . In one embodiment,  FIG. 2  could operate as the floating-point unit  16 , while in other embodiments  FIG. 2  could illustrate the integer unit  18 . 
         [0013]    In operation, the decode unit  24  decodes the incoming operation-codes (opcodes) to be dispatched for the computations or processing. The decode unit  24  is responsible for the general decoding of instructions (e.g., x86 instructions and extensions thereof) and how the delivered opcodes may change from the instruction. The decode unit  24  will also pass on physical register numbers (PRNs) from a available list of PRNs (often referred to as the Free List (FL)) to the rename unit  28 . 
         [0014]    The rename unit  28  maps logical register numbers (LRNs) to the physical register numbers (PRNs) prior to scheduling and execution. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the rename unit  28  can be utilized to rename or remap logical registers in a manner that eliminates the need to store known data values in a physical register. In one embodiment, this is implemented with a register mapping table stored in the rename unit  28 . According to the present disclosure, renaming or remapping registers saves operational cycles and power, as well as decreases latency. 
         [0015]    The scheduler  30  contains a scheduler queue and associated issue logic. As its name implies, the scheduler  30  is responsible for determining which opcodes are passed to execution units and in what order. In one embodiment, the scheduler  30  accepts renamed opcodes from rename unit  28  and stores them in the scheduler  30  until they are eligible to be selected by the scheduler to issue to one of the execution pipes. 
         [0016]    The register file control  32  holds the physical registers. The physical register numbers and their associated valid bits arrive from the scheduler  30 . Source operands are read out of the physical registers and results written back into the physical registers. In one embodiment, the register file control  32  also check for parity errors on all operands before the opcodes are delivered to the execution units. In a multi-pipelined (super-scalar) architecture, an opcode (with any data) would be issued for each execution pipe. 
         [0017]    The execute unit(s)  34  may be embodied as any generation purpose or specialized execution architecture as desired for a particular processor. In one embodiment the execution unit may be realized as a single instruction multiple data (SIMD) arithmetic logic unit (ALU). In another embodiment, dual or multiple SIMD ALUs could be employed for super-scalar and/or multi-threaded embodiments, which operate to produce results and any exception bits generated during execution. 
         [0018]    In one embodiment, after an opcode has been executed, the instruction can be retired so that the state of the floating-point unit  16  or integer unit  18  can be updated with a self-consistent, non-speculative architected state consistent with the serial execution of the program. The retire unit  36  maintains an in-order list of all opcodes in process in the floating-point unit  16  (or integer unit  18  as the case may be) that have passed the rename  28  stage and have not yet been committed by to the architectural state. The retire unit  36  is responsible for committing all the floating-point unit  16  or integer unit  18  architectural states upon retirement of an opcode. 
         [0019]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , there is shown an illustration of physical registers  40  available for use during execution of an instruction (be it floating-point or integer). In one embodiment, the physical registers  40  reside in the register file control unit ( 32  in  FIG. 2 ) and are organized in one or more address blocks for reading and writing operations. The various physical registers,  40 - 0 ,  40 - 2 ,  40 - 3  through  40 -(M−1), are limited in number and are committed to a particular use for so long as necessary for the performance of an instruction. The physical registers  40  are known as “wide” registers as they contain a large number of bits (bit  0  through bit (m−1)), which in various embodiments may be 64 bits, 128 bits or 256 bits. At the conclusion (retirement) of the instruction, any available physical registers (such as those reclaimed from old, now obsolete mappings) are returned to a “free list” indicating that they are available for use by another instruction. 
         [0020]    Also shown in  FIG. 3  is a register mapping table  42  that maps the logical (or architected) registers (LR  0  through LR (N−1) to the physical registers  40 . The logical registers may reside or be distributed through the processor  10  (or computational unit  16  or  18 ) as desired in any particular architecture. In one embodiment, the register mapping table  44  resides in the rename unit ( 28  in  FIG. 2 ) so that the mappings of architected or logical register to the physical registers  40  can be changed by renaming or changing the mapping as will be more completely described below. In the register mapping table  42 , the registers  42 - 0  through  42 -(N−1) are known as “narrow” registers as they have few bits compared to the physical registers  40 . Generally, the value N (the number of registers) of the register mapping table  42  corresponds to the number of logical registers (N in this example) and have a sufficient number of bits (n) to map (or point to) the physical registers  40 . For example, if n=8, then the register mapping table  42  could point to 256 physical registers (in binary). 
         [0021]    Conventionally, to execute a move instruction, one physical register is mapped as a source register and the move destination is mapped to a second physical register that will receive and store the value of the source register until needed for further processing. This approach requires the move to be scheduled within the floating-point or integer unit, which consumes a scheduler slot that could be used for other instructions. Moreover, power is consumed for both the read and write operations necessary to accomplish the move operation, which is wasteful of energy. 
         [0022]    Instead, embodiments of the present disclosure simply remaps (or rename) the association of the logical registers to the physical registers allowing more than one logical register to point to the same physical register. In that way, the source and destination become the same physical register, which efficiently effects a move operation in essentially zero cycles of processor latency and with much less power. 
         [0023]    Referring again to  FIG. 3 , consider that a move instruction has been decoded (in the decoder  24  of  FIG. 2 ) and physical register  1  (PR  1 )  40 - 1  has been mapped by the rename unit  28  to logical register  0  (LR  0 ) by remapping table register  42 - 0  (indicated by arrow  46 ), while physical register  3  (PR  3 )  40 - 3  has been mapped to logical register  2  (LR  2 ) by remapping table register  42 - 2  (indicated by arrow  48 ). Rather than actually move the value of PR  3  to PR  1 , the present disclosure contemplates remapping (renaming) the source register as the destination register without actually moving the data (indicated by arrow  46 ′). All future references to either logical register  0  (LR  0 ) or logical register  2  (LR  2 ) will map (or point) to the same physical register (PR  3 ) creating the same operational effect of having performed a move operation. That is, the processor will process any instruction referencing either the source logical register or destination logical register using the value stored in the commonly mapped physical register. This increases throughput, reduces latency for other operations and saves power. That is, the move instruction of the present disclosure has an apparent latency of zero cycles. For floating-point or integer computations requiring a number of move instructions, the power savings and performance improvement can be substantial. 
         [0024]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a flow diagram is shown illustrating the steps followed by various embodiments of the present disclosure for the processor  10 , the floating-point unit  16 , the integer unit  18  or any other unit  22  of the processor  10  that performs move instructions using a limited number of physical registers. In step  50 , a determination is made that a move instruction is required. In one embodiment, this is determined in the decode stage  24  (see  FIG. 2 ), however, the determination can be made at any convenient location prior to the scheduler  30  in order to achieve the full benefits of the present disclosure. Next, step  52  determines the source and destination register mapping by the mapping table residing in the rename unit  28 . Step  54  remaps the logical registers and physical registers as required so that the source and destination point to the same physical register. All future reference to either logical registers will actually read the value in the now common physical register mapping as if as a conventional move operation had been scheduled and executed. Finally, in the event that other instructions don&#39;t require the “unmapped” physical register (PR  1  in the example of  FIG. 3 ) it can be returned to the free list (step  56 ). In this way, physical registers can be made available much more rapidly than in previous move instructions in processor architectures. This saves both operational cycles and power consumption by not wasting time and energy reading and writing a register value. 
         [0025]    Various processor-based devices may advantageously use the processor (or computational unit) of the present disclosure, including laptop computers, digital books, printers, scanners, standard or high-definition televisions or monitors and standard or high-definition set-top boxes for satellite or cable programming reception. In each example, any other circuitry necessary for the implementation of the processor-based device would be added by the respective manufacturer. The above listing of processor-based devices is merely exemplary and not intended to be a limitation on the number or types of processor-based devices that may advantageously use the processor (or computational unit) of the present disclosure. 
         [0026]    While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description of the invention, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the invention, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents.