BROADCAST CHANNEL ARCHITECTURES FOR BLOCK-BASED PROCESSORS

摘要

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for example computer processors that are based on a hybrid dataflow execution model. In particular embodiments, a processor core in a block-based processor comprises: one or more functional units configured to perform functions using one or more operands; an instruction window comprising buffers configured to store individual instructions for execution by the processor core, the instruction window including one or more operand buffers for an individual instruction configured to store operand values; a control unit configured to execute the instructions in the instruction window and control operation of the one or more functional units; and a broadcast value store comprising a plurality of buffers dedicated to storing broadcast values, each buffer of the broadcast value store being associated with a respective broadcast channel from among a plurality of available broadcast channels.

主权项

1. A processor core in a block-based processor, the processor core comprising:
one or more functional units configured to perform functions using one or more operands; an instruction window comprising buffers configured to store individual instructions for execution by the processor core; and a control unit configured to execute the instructions in the instruction window and control operation of the one or more functional units, wherein the instruction window includes, for a respective instruction to be executed by the processor core, (a) a buffer dedicated to storing the respective instruction; (b) a buffer dedicated to storing one or more operands for use by the respective instruction; and (c) a listening unit configured to monitor a broadcast control bus shared among instructions in the instruction window and, when instructed by a control signal generated from the respective instruction, detects values broadcast on a broadcast data bus and conditionally copies the values into the buffer dedicated to storing the operand for use by the respective instruction.