INTEGRATED PROCESSOR ARRAY, INSTRUCTION SEQUENCER AND I/O CONTROLLER

摘要

A computer processor having an integrated instruction sequencer, array of processing engines, and I/O controller. The instruction sequencer sequences instructions from a host, and transfers these instructions to the processing engines, thus directing their operation. The I/O controller controls the transfer of I/O data to and from the processing engines in parallel with the processing controlled by the instruction sequencer. The processing engines themselves are constructed with an integer arithmetic and logic unit (ALU), a 1-bit ALU, a decision unit, and registers. Instructions from the instruction sequencer direct the integer ALU to perform integer operations according to logic states stored in the 1-bit ALU and data stored in the decision unit. The 1-bit ALU and the decision unit can modify their stored information in the same clock cycle as the integer ALU carries out its operation. The processing engines also contain a local memory for storing instructions and data.