Three input arithmetic logic unit with controllable shifter and mask

Abstract

A three input arithmetic logic unit (230) that generates a combination of the three inputs that is selected by a function signal. The second input signal comes from a controllable barrel rotator (235). The rotate amount is a default rotate amount stored in a special data register, a predetermined set of bits of data recalled from a data register or zero. A one's constant source (236) is connected to the barrel rotator (235) to supply a multibit digital signal of '1'. This permits generating a second input signal of the form 2.sup.N, with N being the rotate amount. The output of the barrel rotator (235) may be stored independently of the arithmetic logic unit (230) result. The third input signal comes from a multiplexer (233) that selects between an instruction specified immediate field, data recalled from a data register or a mask input from a mask generator (239). One preferred form of the mask has a number of right justified 1's corresponding to a mask input signal. This mask input signal may be the default barrel rotate amount or a predetermined number of the least significant bits of a third input signal as selected by a multiplexer. A second preferred form of the mask is selected one of the left most 1, the right most 1, the left most bit change or the right most bit change of a predetermined set of the least significant bits of data recalled from a data register.