Cyrix Corporation

Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

National Semiconductor Corporation

Willard S Briggs

David W Matula

David Oliver

Brian Dennis Falardeau

Thomas B Brightman

Christopher G Wilcox

Forrest E Norrod

Brett A Tischler

David William Nuechterlein

Kenneth James Kotlowski

Sameer Y Nanavati

Systems and methods for cache-based compressed display data storage are provided. One system includes memory operable to store compressed display data, a processor comprising a processing core and a cache, a cache storage module operably coupled to the memory and the processor, wherein the cache storage module is to initiate a storage of at least a portion of the compressed display data in the cache in response to an indication that the processing core is in an inactive mode. One method comprises, in response to an indication that a processor is in an inactive mode, transferring compressed display data from a frame buffer in memory to a cache associated with the processor, obtaining a first compressed display data from the cache, and decompressing the first compressed display data to generate a first uncompressed display data.

System and method for cache-based compressed display data storage

An apparatus and method are disclosed for providing higher radix redundant digit lookup tables for digital lookup table circuits. A compressed direct lookup table unit accesses a redundant digits lookup table that is capable of providing a high order part and a low order part that can be directly concatenated to form an output numeric value. The redundant digits lookup table of the invention is structured so that no output overflow exceptions are created. A redundant digits lookup table recoder capable of providing recoded output values directly to partial product generators of a multiplier unit is also disclosed.

Apparatus and method for providing higher radix redundant digit lookup tables for recoding and compressing function values

Methods for determining the square root, reciprocal square root, or reciprocal of a number performed by a processor of a computer system. The methods produce high precision estimates without using iterative steps. In addition, the methods taught herein utilize compressed tables for the coefficient terms A, B, and C from the quadratic expression Ax+Bx+C, thus minimizing hardware requirements.

Arithmetic processor utilizing multi-table look up to obtain reciprocal operands

An apparatus and method is disclosed for updating a status register in an out of order execution pipeline. In one embodiment a dispatch unit in a floating point unit sets a MRI bit flag that indicates that an instruction is the most recently issued instruction. The dispatch unit resets the MRI bit flag for all other instructions. Each execution stage of the execution pipeline keeps track of the MRI bit flag information for the instruction. A writeback unit updates the status register after the execution of the instruction that has its MRI bit flag set. The writeback unit does not update the status register for instructions that have their MRI bit flag reset. This allows the instruction to be identified that is the most recent instruction to enter the dispatch unit.

Apparatus and method for updating a status register in an out of order execution pipeline based on most recently issued instruction information

A variable speed floating point unit comprising: 1) an execution pipeline comprising a plurality of execution stages capable of executing floating point operations in a series of sequential steps; and 2) a clock controller capable of receiving an input clock signal and generating a variable speed output clock signal capable of clocking the execution pipeline. The clock controller adjusts a speed of the variable speed output clock signal according to a level of queued opcodes waiting to be executed in the execution pipeline.

Floating point unit with variable speed execution pipeline and method of operation

A floating point unit comprising: 1) an execution pipeline comprising a plurality of execution stages for executing floating point operations in a series of sequential steps; and 2) a try-again reservation station for storing a plurality of instructions to be loaded into the execution pipeline. Detection of a denormal result in the execution pipeline causes the execution pipeline to store the denormal result in a register array associated with the floating point unit and causes the execution pipeline to store a denormal result instruction in the try-again reservation station. The try-again reservation station subsequently re-loads the denormal result instruction into the execution pipeline and the de-normal result instruction retrieves the denormal result from the register array for additional processing.

Floating point unit with try-again reservation station and method of operation

An apparatus and method are disclosed for providing higher radix redundant digit lookup tables for digital lookup table circuits. A compressed direct lookup table unit accesses a redundant digits lookup table that is capable of providing a high order part and a low order part that can be directly concatenated to form an output numeric value. The redundant digits lookup table of the invention is structured so that no output overflow exceptions are created. A redundant digits lookup table recoder capable of providing recorded output values directly to partial product generators of a multiplier unit is also disclosed.

A processing system having a CPU core and a cache transfers data between a first block of memory and a second block of memory that is preferably partitioned out of the cache as a non-cacheable scratchpad area and performs address calculations with protection and privilege checks without polluting the cache. Responsive to executing a predetermined instruction, the CPU core signals the cache to prevent caching data during transfer from system to scratchpad memory thereby reducing the number of bus turnarounds while maintaining byte granularity addressability.

Data transfer with highly granular cacheability control between memory and a scratchpad area

There is disclosed an apparatus for loading instructions into the instruction execution pipeline of a pipelined processor. The apparatus for loading instructions comprises: 1) an instruction loading circuit that loads instructions from a first instruction thread into the instruction execution pipeline; and 2) a branch instruction detection circuit that detects a branch instruction in the first instruction thread. In response to the branch instruction detection, the instruction loading circuit stops loading instructions from the first instruction thread into the instruction execution pipeline and begins loading instructions from a second instruction thread into the instruction execution pipeline.

System and method for interleaved execution of multiple independent threads

A processing system includes a graphics subsystem that directly renders raster data to system memory and moves bitmaps between locations within system memory with the graphics subsystem providing the data and a processor providing the virtual-to-physical addresses with privilege and protection check mechanisms.

Data transfer from a graphics subsystem to system memory

A numeric processor includes a multiply-add circuit with redundant value interface circuitry for performing mathematical function computations as a succession of product sums using redundant binary format values (such as signed digit) as the multiplicand and/or the addend inputs to the multiply-add circuit. The redundant value interface circuitry (i) extracts a predetermined number of bits from a redundant product sum to form a redundant truncated product sum, and (ii) couples the redundant truncated product sum to either, or both, multiplicand and addend inputs. In this manner, successive redundant product sums are calculated using without conversion to nonredundant binary format. In a preferred embodiment, the numeric processor includes a single multiply-add circuit, with redundant truncated product sum values being fed back to the multiplicand and/or addend inputs.

Numeric processor including a multiply-add circuit for computing a

An arithmetic circuit 10 for performing prescaled division uses a rectangular multiplier 16 and accumulator 30 operable to calculate a short reciprocal and scaled dividend and divisor to enable the sequential iterative calculation of large radix quotient digits. Each quotient digit can be calculated using a single pass through the rectangular multiplier 16 and accumulator 30 and can be accumulated to form a full precision quotient in a quotient register 36.

Method and apparatus for performing prescaled division

A method and apparatus for performing division is described which first comprises approximating the short reciprocal of the divisor. A reciprocal bias adjustment factor is added to the approximation and the correctly biased short reciprocal is multiplied by a predetermined number of the most significant bits of the dividend and the product is truncated to generate a first quotient digit value. The multiplication takes place in a multiplier array having a rectangular aspect ratio with the long side having a number of bits at least as large as the number of bits required for the divisor. The short side of the multiplier array has a number of bits slightly greater by several guard bits than the number of bits required for a single quotient digit value, which is also determined to be the number of bits in the short reciprocal. The quotient digit value is multiplied by the full divisor and the exact product is subtracted from the dividend to yield an exact partial remainder. The described steps are repeated to serially generate quotient digit values with exact partial remainders with the preceding partial remainder taking the place of the dividend. The quotient digit values are accumulated to yield a complete quotient. The complete quotient is decremented and the remainder recalculated if the final partial remainder is negative, yield the full precision unique quotient and non-negative remainder pair.

Method and apparatus for performing division using a rectangular aspect

A multiplier system 12 is disclosed which provides for the negation of an operand stored in an operand register 14. When a negative operand must be loaded into a partial product generator 26, a carry bit is selectively generated in carry logic 44 and a selected bit or bits within the partial product is set to zero. During a subsequent pass through the multiplier system 12, a bit is added at a block 46 to provide for the addition of the required quantity for the negation of the operand.

Method and apparatus for negating an operand

A rectangular array signed digit multiplier circuit 10 is disclosed which comprises a multiplier core (28). The circuit (10) comprises a C-latch (14), a D-latch (18), and A-latch (26), and a feedback latch (52) operable to store operands to be input into the multiplier core (28) through a MULTIPLIER INPUT, a multiplicand INPUT, an ADDER INPUT and a FEEDBACK INPUT, respectively. The product output by the multiplier core (28) may comprise the sum of the product of the values input through the MULTIPLIER INPUT and MULTIPLICAND INPUT and the ADDER and FEEDBACK INPUTS. The product is stored in a result latch (40) and may be used in subsequent passes through multiplier core (28) through the use of a data path coupling result latch (40) with feedback latch (52). Multiplier core (28) comprises a series connection of a times three adder level (56), a Booth recoder level (58), a partial product generator level (60), a level one adder level (62), a level two adder level (64) and a level three adder level (66).

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Boulder, CO, United States of America

Willard S Briggs