Method and system for nonsequential execution of intermixed scalar and

Abstract

A method and system for enhancing processing efficiency in a data processing system which includes multiple scalar instruction processors and a vector instruction processor. An ordered sequence of intermixed scalar and vector instructions is processed in a nonsequential order by coupling those instructions to selected processors. As each instruction is finished an indication of that state is stored within a finish instruction array. The first vector instruction within the ordered sequence is initiated within the vector instruction processor only after an indication that each scalar instruction preceding the first vector instruction is finished. A vector advance signal is generated by the vector instruction processor each time processing of a vector instruction is initiated. A subsequent vector instruction is then initiated when the vector processor assets are available only in response to the presence of the vector advance signal and an indication that all scalar instructions which proceed the subsequent vector instruction within the ordered sequence have finished, without encountering an exception. In this manner, chained processing of vector instructions may be accomplished by initiating processing of a subsequent vector instruction only after possible interruption by a scalar instruction exception is no longer possible.