Actual instruction and actual-fault instructions for processing vectors

摘要

The described embodiments include a processor that executes a vector instruction. The processor starts by receiving a vector instruction that optionally receives a predicate vector (which has N elements) as an input. The processor then executes the vector instruction. In the described embodiments, executing the vector instruction causes the processor to generate a result vector. When generating the result vector, if the predicate vector is received, for each element in the result vector for which a corresponding element of the predicate vector is active, otherwise, for each element of the result vector, the processor determines element positions for which a fault was masked during a prior operation. The processor then updates elements in the result vector to identify a leftmost element for which a fault was masked.

主权项

1. A method for processing faults in a processor, comprising:
receiving an input vector that includes N elements; optionally receiving a predicate vector that includes N elements; and generating a result vector, wherein generating the result vector involves, if the predicate vector is received, for each element in the result vector for which a corresponding element of the predicate vector is active, otherwise, if the predicate vector is not received, for each element of the result vector,
determining element positions for which a fault was masked during a prior operation by determining elements that were set to a predetermined value in a fault-status register during the prior operation;determining a position of a key element in the result vector, wherein the key element position is leftmost element in the result vector for which a corresponding bit position in the fault-status register is set to the predetermined value; andupdating elements in the result vector to identify a leftmost element for which a fault was masked, wherein the updating comprises:
if the element is to the left of the key element position in the result vector, setting the element in the result vector equal to a value in a corresponding element in the input vector, and, if the element is at or to the right of the key element position in the result vector, setting the element in the result vector equal to zero.