A method in a hardware node including a control processor, an input queue, and a pipeline for processing instructions, the pipeline including: a matrix vector unit; a first multifunction unit; a second multifunction unit; and a third multifunction unit, each of the matrix vector unit, first multifunction unit, second multifunction unit, and third multifunction unit being associated with a respective control queue; wherein the first multifunction unit is connected to receive one of its inputs from the matrix vector unit, the second multifunction unit is connected to receive as one of its inputs an output from the first multifunction unit, and the third multifunction unit is connected to receive as one of its inputs an output from the second multifunction unit; wherein the matrix vector unit is configured to perform a first type of instruction which can only be performed by the matrix vector unit; wherein the first multifunction unit, second multifunction unit, and third multifunction unit are configured to perform a second type of instruction which can only be performed by the first multifunction unit, second multifunction unit, and third multifunction unit; wherein the first type of instruction is a matrix type of instruction and the second type of instruction comprises a vector or scalar type of instruction, a pass-through or memory management functionality; wherein the method comprises: decoding, at the control processor, instructions received via the input queue, wherein a subset of the received instructions comprises a set of instructions including the first type of instruction and the second type of instruction; mapping a first instruction of the decoded instructions for processing by the matrix vector unit or to any one of the first multifunction unit, the second multifunction unit, or the third multifunction unit depending on whether the first instruction is the first type of instruction or the second type of instruction providing the first instruction to the control queue of the matrix vector unit as an input for processing by the matrix vector unit if the first instruction is of the first type; and providing the first instruction to the control queue of said any one of the first multifunction unit, the second multifunction unit, or the third multifunction unit if the first instruction is of the second type. wherein the first multifunction unit is connected to receive one of its inputs from the matrix vector unit, the second multifunction unit is connected to receive as one of its inputs an output from the first multifunction unit, and the third multifunction unit is connected to receive as one of its inputs an output from the second multifunction unit; wherein the matrix vector unit is configured to perform a first type of instruction which can only be performed by the matrix vector unit; wherein the first multifunction unit, second multifunction unit, and third multifunction unit are configured to perform a second type of instruction which can only be performed by the first multifunction unit, second multifunction unit, and third multifunction unit; wherein the first type of instruction is a matrix type of instruction and the second type of instruction comprises a vector or scalar type of instruction, a pass-through or memory management functionality; wherein the method comprises: decoding, at the control processor, instructions received via the input queue, wherein a subset of the received instructions comprises a set of instructions including the first type of instruction and the second type of instruction; mapping a first instruction of the decoded instructions for processing by the matrix vector unit or to any one of the first multifunction unit, the second multifunction unit, or the third multifunction unit depending on whether the first instruction is the first type of instruction or the second type of instruction providing the first instruction to the control queue of the matrix vector unit as an input for processing by the matrix vector unit if the first instruction is of the first type; and providing the first instruction to the control queue of said any one of the first multifunction unit, the second multifunction unit, or the third multifunction unit if the first instruction is of the second type. decoding, at the control processor, instructions received via the input queue, wherein a subset of the received instructions comprises a set of instructions including the first type of instruction and the second type of instruction; mapping a first instruction of the decoded instructions for processing by the matrix vector unit or to any one of the first multifunction unit, the second multifunction unit, or the third multifunction unit depending on whether the first instruction is the first type of instruction or the second type of instruction providing the first instruction to the control queue of the matrix vector unit as an input for processing by the matrix vector unit if the first instruction is of the first type; and providing the first instruction to the control queue of said any one of the first multifunction unit, the second multifunction unit, or the third multifunction unit if the first instruction is of the second type.