Intel Corporation

Gregory Pribush

Zeev Sperber

Ronny Ronen

Ido Ouziel

Ron Gabor

Lihu Rappoport

Adi Yoaz

Oded Lempel

Franck Sala

Chen Koren

Thierry Pons

Lior Libis

Shachar Finkelstein

Guy Bale

Robert Valentine

Amit Gradstein

Ittai Anati

Ilhyun Kim

Mattan Erez

Bishara Shomar

Amir Leibovitz

Arnit Gradstein

Freddy Gabby

Methods and apparatus are provided for handling floating point exceptions in a processor that executes single-instruction multiple-data (SIMD) instructions. In one example a numerical exception is identified for a SIMD floating point operation and SIMD micro-operations are initiated to generate two packed partial results of a packed result for the SIMD floating point operation. A SIMD denormalization micro-operation is initiated to combine the two packed partial results and to denormalize one or more elements of the combined packed partial results to generate a packed result for the SIMD floating point operation having one or more denormal elements. Flags are set and stored with packed partial results to identify denormal elements. In one example a SIMD normalization micro-operation is initiated to generate a normalized pseudo internal floating point representation prior to the SIMD floating point operation when it uses multiplication.

Efficient parallel floating point exception handling in a processor

Methods and apparatus for inclusion of TLB (translation look-aside buffer) in processor micro-op caches are disclosed. Some embodiments for inclusion of TLB entries have micro-op cache inclusion fields, which are set responsive to accessing the TLB entry. Inclusion logic may the flush the micro-op cache or portions of the micro-op cache and clear corresponding inclusion fields responsive to a replacement or invalidation of a TLB entry whenever its associated inclusion field had been set. Front-end processor state may also be cleared and instructions refetched when replacement resulted from a TLB miss.

Method and apparatus for inclusion of TLB entries in a micro-op cache of a processor

Methods and apparatus for instruction restarts and inclusion in processor micro-op caches are disclosed. Embodiments of micro-op caches have way storage fields to record the instruction-cache ways storing corresponding macroinstructions. Instruction-cache in-use indications associated with the instruction-cache lines storing the instructions are updated upon micro-op cache hits. In-use indications can be located using the recorded instruction-cache ways in micro-op cache lines. Victim-cache deallocation micro-ops are enqueued in a micro-op queue after micro-op cache miss synchronizations, responsive to evictions from the instruction-cache into a victim-cache. Inclusion logic also locates and evicts micro-op cache lines corresponding to the recorded instruction-cache ways, responsive to evictions from the instruction-cache.

Method and apparatus for pipeline inclusion and instruction restarts in a micro-op cache of a processor

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for handling floating point exceptions in a processor that executes single-instruction multiple-data (SIMD) instructions. In one embodiment a numerical exception is identified for a SIMD floating point operation and SIMD micro-operations are initiated to generate two packed partial results of a packed result for the SIMD floating point operation. A SIMD denormalization micro-operation is initiated to combine the two packed partial results and to denormalize one or more elements of the combined packed partial results to generate a packed result for the SIMD floating point operation having one or more denormal elements. Flags are set and stored with packed partial results to identify denormal elements. In one embodiment a SIMD normalization micro-operation is initiated to generate a normalized pseudo internal floating point representation prior to the SIMD floating point operation when it uses multiplication.

A micro-operation (uop) fusion technique. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to a technique to fuse two or more uops originating from two or more instructions.

Representing a plurality of instructions with a fewer number of micro-operations

A method for renaming a source for use with a processor, the method including providing an instruction, building instruction dependency information based on the instruction, caching the instruction based on the instruction dependency information to provide a cached instruction, renaming a register based on the cached instruction to provide a renamed register, and multiplexing the instruction dependency information and the renamed register to rename the source.

Apparatus, method and system for fast register renaming using virtual renaming, including by using rename information or a renamed register

A system and method for recovering from mispredicted paths in pipelined computer architectures. Targets within an instruction window exhibit spatial locality. To exploit this property, a mechanism detects the branch target within the instruction window. A second process eliminates the need for full renaming and re-execution of mispredicted paths by handling a dependency chain of instructions.

Fast branch misprediction recovery method and system

According to one aspect of the invention, a method is provided in which a current instance of an instruction is received. The current instance of the instruction contains a reference to a logical floating point register. A first rename phase is performed to convert the current's instance reference to the logical floating point register into a reference to an absolute register. A second rename phase is performed in parallel with the first rename phase to convert the reference to the absolute register into a reference to a physical register, based upon results obtained from performing the first rename phase with respect to a previous instance of the instruction.

Growing community of inventors

Haifa, Israel

Gregory Pribush