Multithread processor architecture for triggered thread switching without any cycle time loss, and without any switching program command
First Claim
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53. A multithread processor for data processing of a plurality of threads, the multithread processor comprising:
- a standard processor root unit operable to process a thread Tj, each program instruction Ijk for the thread Tj including an associated thread switching trigger data field;
a circuit operable to cause the standard processor root unit to switch, without any clock cycle loss, to process a different thread T1 responsive to information in a first thread switching trigger data field obtained from the a particular program instruction for the thread Tj.
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Abstract
A multithread processor according to the inventive architecture is a clocked multithread processor for data processing of threads having a standard processor root unit (1) in which threads can be switched to a different thread T1 by means a thread switching trigger data field (11), triggered by the thread Tj which is currently to be processed by the standard processor root unit (1), without any clock cycle loss, with each program instruction Ijk for a thread Tj having a thread switching trigger data field (11) such as this.
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100 Claims
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53. A multithread processor for data processing of a plurality of threads, the multithread processor comprising:
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a standard processor root unit operable to process a thread Tj, each program instruction Ijk for the thread Tj including an associated thread switching trigger data field;
a circuit operable to cause the standard processor root unit to switch, without any clock cycle loss, to process a different thread T1 responsive to information in a first thread switching trigger data field obtained from the a particular program instruction for the thread Tj. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 67, 68, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 79, 91, 92)
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60. A multithread processor for data processing of a plurality of threads, each thread being in one of a set of states, the set of states including a first state in which the thread is being executed, a second state in which the thread is ready to compute, a third state in which the thread is waiting, and a fourth state in which the thread is sleeping, the multithread processor comprising:
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a standard processor unit operable to process a thread Tj;
a switching detector to generate a switching trigger signal responsive to a thread switching trigger data field obtained from the thread Tj, the switching trigger signal operable to cause the standard processor unit to switch to process a different thread T1, the switching detector further operable to cause the thread Tj to switch from the first state to the third state for n delayed clock cycles based on the thread switching trigger data field, the switching detector further operable to generate a thread reactivation signal after passage of the n clock cycles;
an instruction fetch unit configured to fetch program instructions for at least the thread Tj from a program instruction memory, each fetched program instruction having an associated thread switching trigger data field. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 69, 70, 71, 78, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 93)
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94. A method for switching threads T of a clocked multithread processor, the multithread processor including a standard processor unit, the method comprising:
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processing a thread Tj in the standard processor unit; and
switching the standard processor unit from processing the thread Tj to another thread T1, said switching responsive to reception of a first thread switching trigger data field, wherein each program instruction Ijk for a thread Tj includes an associated thread switching trigger data field. - View Dependent Claims (1, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100)
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Specification