VECTOR PROCESSING

摘要

A vector processor is disclosed which processes vectors that can have more elements than a vector register can contain at one time. Vectors are processed in sections in which the section size is determined by the number of element locations in a vector register. A vector count register controls the number of elements processed by each vector instruction. A vector interruption index points to the first or next element in a vector to be processed by a vector instruction either when it is first issued or when it is re-issued following an interruption of the vector instruction. A general purpose (length) register contains the entire length of the vector to be processed. A single instruction, which starts a vector sectioning loop, provides for the smaller of the section size or the content of the length register to be loaded into the vector count register. During the operation of the sectioning loop, the vector count register is repetitively subtracted from the content of the first general purpose register and the resulting residual vector length is placed back in the first general purpose register until all of the elements have been processed.