Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Other

Aaron L Smith

Douglas Christopher Burger

Jan Stephen Gray

Doug Burger

Gagan Gupta

David T Harper

Andrew Richard Putnam

Sitaram V Lanka

Stephen Francis Heil

Milovan Duric

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for controlling execution of memory access instructions in a block-based processor architecture using a hardware structure that generates a relative ordering of memory access instruction in an instruction block. In one example of the disclosed technology, a method of executing an instruction block having a plurality of memory load and/or memory store instructions includes decoding an instruction block encoding a plurality of memory access instructions and generating data indicating a relative order for executing the memory access instructions in the instruction block and scheduling operation of a portion of the instruction block based at least in part on the relative order data. In some examples, a store vector data register can store the generated relative ordering data for use in subsequent instances of the instruction block.

Implicit program order

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for throttling processor operation in block-based processor architectures. In one example of the disclosed technology, a block-based instruction set architecture processor includes a plurality of processing cores configured to fetch and execute a sequence of instruction blocks. Each of the processing cores includes function resources for performing operations specified by the instruction blocks. The processor further includes a core scheduler configured to allocate functional resources for performing the operations. The functional resources are allocated for executing the instruction blocks based, at least in part, on a performance metric. The performance metric can be generated dynamically or statically based on branch prediction accuracy, energy usage tolerance, and other suitable metrics.

Instruction block allocation

Systems and methods are disclosed for performing wide memory operations for a wide data cache line. In some examples of the disclosed technology, a processor having two or more execution lanes includes a data cache coupled to memory, a wide memory load circuit that concurrently loads two or more words from a cache line of the data cache, and a writeback circuit situated to send a respective word of the concurrently-loaded words to a selected execution lane of the processor, either into an operand buffer or bypassing the operand buffer. In some examples, a sharding circuit is provided that allows bitwise, byte-wise, and/or word-wise manipulation of memory operation data. In some examples, wide cache loads allows for concurrent execution of plural execution lanes of the processor.

Coupling wide memory interface to wide write back paths

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for implementing block-based processors including field programmable gate-array implementations. In one example of the disclosed technology, a block-based processor includes an instruction decoder configured to generate decoded ready dependencies for a transactional block of instructions, where each of the instructions is associated with a different instruction identifier encoded in the transactional block. The processor further includes an instruction scheduler configured to issue an instruction from a set of instructions of the transactional block of instructions. The instruction is issued based on determining that decoded ready state dependencies for an instruction are satisfied. The determining includes accessing storage with the decoded ready dependencies indexed with a respective instruction identifier that is encoded in the transactional block of instructions.

Out-of-order block-based processors and instruction schedulers using ready state data indexed by instruction position identifiers

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for controlling execution of memory access instructions in a block-based processor architecture using a hardware structure that indicates a relative ordering of memory access instruction in an instruction block. In one example of the disclosed technology, a method of executing an instruction block having a plurality of memory load and/or memory store instructions includes selecting a next memory load or memory store instruction to execute based on dependencies encoded within the block, and on a store vector that stores data indicating which memory load and memory store instructions in the instruction block have executed. The store vector can be masked using a store mask. The store mask can be generated when decoding the instruction block, or copied from an instruction block header. Based on the encoded dependencies and the masked store vector, the next instruction can issue when its dependencies are available.

Generation and use of memory access instruction order encodings

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for implementing block-based processors having custom function blocks, including field-programmable gate array (FPGA) implementations. In some examples of the disclosed technology, a dynamically configurable scheduler is configured to issue at least one block-based processor instruction. A custom function block is configured to receive input operands for the instruction and generate ready state data indicating completion of a computation performed for the instruction by the respective custom function block.

Hybrid block-based processor and custom function blocks

Systems, apparatuses, and methods related to a block-based processor core composition register are disclosed. In one example of the disclosed technology, a processor can include a plurality of block-based processor cores for executing a program including a plurality of instruction blocks. A respective block-based processor core can include one or more sharable resources and a programmable composition control register. The programmable composition control register can be used to configure which resources of the one or more sharable resources are shared with other processor cores of the plurality of processor cores.

Block-based processor core composition register

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for implementing incremental schedulers for out-of-order block-based processors, including field programmable gate array implementations. In one example of the disclosed technology, a processor includes an instruction scheduler formed by configuring one or more look up table RAMs to store ready state data for a plurality of instructions in an instruction block. The instruction scheduler further includes a plurality of queues that store ready state data for the processor and sends dependency information to ready determination logic on a first in/first out basis. The instruction scheduler selects one or more of the ready instructions to be issued and executed by the block-based processor.

Incremental scheduler for out-of-order block ISA processors

A processor core in an instruction block-based microarchitecture is configured so that an instruction window and operand buffers are decoupled for independent operation in which instructions in the block are not tied to resources such as control bits and operands that are maintained in the operand buffers. Instead, pointers are established among instructions in the block and the resources so that control state can be established for a refreshed instruction block (i.e., an instruction block that is reused without re-fetching it from an instruction cache) by following the pointers. Such decoupling of the instruction window from the operand space can provide greater processor efficiency, particularly in multiple core arrays where refreshing is utilized (for example when executing program code that uses tight loops), because the operands and control bits are pre-validated.

Decoupled processor instruction window and operand buffer

Distinct system registers for logical processors are disclosed. In one example of the disclosed technology, a processor includes a plurality of block-based physical processor cores for executing a program comprising a plurality of instruction blocks. The processor also includes a thread scheduler configured to schedule a thread of the program for execution, the thread using the one or more instruction blocks. The processor further includes at least one system register. The at least one system register stores data indicating a number and placement of the plurality of physical processor cores to form a logical processor. The logical processor executes the scheduled thread. The logical processor is configured to execute the thread in a continuous instruction window.

Distinct system registers for logical processors

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for controlling execution of memory access instructions in a block-based processor architecture using an instruction decoder that decodes instructions having variable numbers of target operands. In one example of the disclosed technology, a block-based processor core includes an instruction decoder configured to decode target operands for an instruction in an instruction block, the instruction being encoded to allow for a variable number of target operands and a control unit configured to send data for at least one of the decoded target operands for an operation performed by the at least one of the cores. In some examples, the instruction indicates target instructions with a vector encoding. In other examples, a variable length format allows for the indication of one or more targets.

Dense read encoding for dataflow ISA

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for controlling execution of register access instructions in a block-based processor architecture using a hardware structure that indicates a relative ordering of register access instruction in an instruction block. In one example of the disclosed technology, a method of operating a processor includes selecting a register access instruction of the plurality of instructions to execute based at least in part on dependencies encoded within a previous block of instructions and on stored data indicating which of the register write instructions have executed for the previous block, and executing the selected instruction. In some examples, one or more of a write mask, a read mask, a register write vector register, or a counter are used to determine register read/write dependences. Based on the encoded dependencies and the masked write vector, the next instruction block can issue when its register dependencies are available.

Register read/write ordering

Systems and methods are disclosed for supporting debugging of programs in block-based processor architectures. In one example of the disclosed technology, a processor includes a block-based processor core for executing an instruction block comprising an instruction header and a plurality of instructions. The block-based processor core includes execution control logic and core state access logic. The execution control logic can be configured to schedule respective instructions of the plurality of instructions for execution in a dynamic order during a default execution mode and to schedule the respective instructions for execution in a static order during a debug mode. The core state access logic can be configured to read intermediate states of the block-based processor core and to provide the intermediate states outside of the block-based processor core during the debug mode.

Debug support for block-based processor

Systems, apparatuses, and methods related to a block-based processor core topology register are disclosed. In one example of the disclosed technology, a processor can include a plurality of block-based processor cores for executing a program including a plurality of instruction blocks. A respective block-based processor core can include a sharable resource and a programmable composition topology register. The programmable composition topology register can be used to assign a group of the physical processor cores that share the sharable resource.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Aaron L Smith