PROCESSOR WITH MULTI-LEVEL LOOPING VECTOR COPROCESSOR

摘要

A processor includes a scalar processor core and a vector coprocessor core coupled to the scalar processor core. The scalar processor core includes a program memory interface through which the scalar processor retrieves instructions from a program memory. The instructions include scalar instructions executable by the scalar processor and vector instructions executable by the vector coprocessor core. The vector coprocessor core includes a plurality of execution units and a vector command buffer. The vector command buffer is configured to decode vector instructions passed by the scalar processor core, to determine whether vector instructions defining an instruction loop have been decoded, and to initiate execution of the instruction loop by one or more of the execution units based on a determination that all of the vector instructions of the instruction loop have been decoded.