Lg Semicon Co., Ltd.

Cogency Technology Incorporated

The University of Manchester

Advanced Risc Machines Limited

Nigel C Paver

Paul Day

A control apparatus and method is provided for controlling operations of functional units in systems. The control apparatus and method implement a set of operations that can include dependencies between the functional units of a system to complete each operation. For example, in an asynchronous digital processor, self-timing and inter-block communication are used to implement a self-timed scheduler. The self-timed scheduler and method implement an instruction set using a plurality of functional units of the asynchronous digital processor. A scheduler can include a scheduler decoder that decodes each instruction to generate functional unit schedule and control information, a communication device and a plurality of scheduler functional unit controllers, wherein each of the scheduler functional unit controllers corresponds to one of the plurality of functional units of a system.

Apparatus and method for system control using a self-timed asynchronous

A power consumption control apparatus and method for an asynchronous system is provided that reduces power consumption by selecting one of a plurality of power consumption levels for the system. The power consumption levels can be determined based on work load requirements of the system and can be implemented for the system or portions thereof using a single block of the system. The asynchronous system includes a plurality of intercoupled functional units and a power control circuit coupled to a selected one of the plurality of functional units to determine at least one of a first and a second operating speed of a selected functional unit.

Apparatus and method for reducing power consumption in a self-timed

A programmable circuit and method for a data processing apparatus is provided that allows an entire instruction or instruction set to be modified. According to the present invention, the instruction can be modified, for example, during initialization or execution. The programmable circuit for a data processing apparatus can include a plurality of functional units, each functional unit performing a set of prescribed operations. A programmable circuit that is capable of modifying an entire instruction. A controller that decodes a current instruction to perform a corresponding instruction task using the plurality of functional units and a communications device coupling the functional units, the programmable circuit and the controller.

User programmable circuit and method for data processing apparatus using

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for processing data, the apparatus comprising a plurality of asynchronous control circuits, each asynchronous control circuit employing a request-acknowledge control loop to control data flow within that asynchronous control circuit, and being arranged to exchange data signals with at least one other of said plurality of asynchronous control circuits. Further, a first of said asynchronous control circuits includes a halt circuit for blocking a control signal in the control loop of the first asynchronous control circuit, thereby preventing the exchange of data signals with said at least one other of said plurality of asynchronous control circuits so as to cause the control loops of said plurality of asynchronous control circuits to become blocked. The present invention is based on an asynchronous design, which only causes transitions in the circuit in response to a request to carry out useful work. It can switch instantaneously between zero power dissipation and maximum performance upon demand. According to the invention, there is provided a `Halt` circuit which causes all processor activity to cease until an interrupt occurs. The circuit preferably works by intercepting a control signal in the processing apparatus' asynchronous control circuits, effectively breaking a single request-acknowledge control loop. Since the control circuits are interrelated, blocking the response in one loop rapidly (but not instantaneously) stalls all the other control loops in the apparatus, and hence the stall ultimately propagates throughout the entire apparatus, terminating all activity. Preferably, an interrupt is used to release the stall in the original control loop, and activity then propagates from this point throughout the system.

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Manchester, United Kingdom

Nigel C Paver