Patent ID: 8621273

Claim:
A computer processor having a single channel processor core, comprising: a CPU core configured to process original binary data bits comprised within an encoded data word; hardware extensions, comprising a plurality of transistors coupled to the CPU core, which are configured to selectively perform processing of original binary data bits within the encoded data word and to selectively perform coded processing of redundant data bits within the encoded data word natively in hardware; an original data path configured to provide one or more of the original binary data bits to the CPU core; and an extended data path configured to selectively provide the redundant data bits and one or more of the original binary data bits to the hardware extensions, wherein the single channel processor core is configured to selectively operate in one of two modes of operation: a safety integrity mode that provides for improved safety integrity that processes a first portion of the encoded data word comprising the original binary data bits with the CPU core, and parallel processes a remaining portion of the encoded data word comprising the redundant data bits with the hardware extensions; and a high performance mode that provides for improved performance that processes a first portion of the encoded data word comprising one or more original binary data bits with the CPU core, and parallel processes a remaining portion of the encoded data word comprising one or more original binary data bits with the hardware extensions.