Processors, methods, and systems for a configurable spatial accelerator with performance, correctness, and power reduction features

• US 10,445,451 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Fleming, Kermin, Glossop, Kent D., Steely, Jr., Simon C., Tang, Ping Tak Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Daniel D
• Application Number:
  US15/640,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20190005161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 836 Days
• Field of Search: 326 38, 712 10, 712 24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0802 Addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means, e.g. caches
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0862 with prefetch
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0888 using selective caching, e.g. bypass
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0895 of parts of caches, e.g. directory or tag array
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/7867 with reconfigurable architecture
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/8015 One dimensional arrays, e.g. rings, linear arrays, buses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/327 Logic synthesis; Behaviour synthesis, e.g. mapping logic, HDL to netlist, high-level language to RTL or netlist
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/12 Group selection circuits, e.g. for memory block selection, chip selection, array selection
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17736 Structural details of routing resources
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17756 for partial configuration or partial reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17758 for speeding up configuration or reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17764 for reliability
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/1778 Structural details for adapting physical parameters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatuses relating to a configurable spatial accelerator are described. In one embodiment, a processor includes a plurality of processing elements; and an interconnect network between the plurality of processing elements to receive an input of a dataflow graph comprising a plurality of nodes, wherein the dataflow graph is to be overlaid into the interconnect network and the plurality of processing elements with each node represented as a dataflow operator in the plurality of processing elements, and the plurality of processing elements is to perform an operation when an incoming operand set arrives at the plurality of processing elements. At least one of the plurality of processing elements includes a plurality of control inputs.

Claims

1. A processor comprising:

a plurality of processing elements, wherein at least one of the processing elements is to perform a floating-point operation with selectable precision control; and

an interconnect network between the plurality of processing elements to receive an input of a dataflow graph comprising a plurality of nodes, wherein the dataflow graph is to be overlaid into the interconnect network and the plurality of processing elements with each node represented as a dataflow operator in the plurality of processing elements, and the plurality of processing elements is to perform an operation when an incoming operand set arrives at the plurality of processing elements.

2. The processor of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one of the plurality of processing elements is configurable as a floating-point multiplier, at least an other of the plurality of processing elements is configurable as a floating-point adder, and the at least one and the at least an other of the plurality of processing elements are coupled together to perform a fused multiply-add.