Apparatus and method using an ID instruction to identify a computer microprocessor

• US 5,790,834 A
• Filed: 08/31/1992
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Dreyer, Robert S., Alpert, Donald B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Daniel H.
• Application Number:
  US07/938,288
• Time in Patent Office: 2,164 Days
• Field of Search: 395/800, 395/200, 395/550, 395/500, 395/425, 395/325, 395/275, 395/250, 395/375, 395/575, 395/725, 395/775, 395/800.42, 395/652, 395/182.08, 395/568 , 395/183.04, 395/394, 395/183.06, 395/800.11, 395/800.23, 364/DIG. 1, 364/DIG. 2
• US Class Current: 703/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/006 Identification G06F11/2289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2207/7219 Countermeasures against side channel or fault attacks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/30003 Arrangements for executing specific machine instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/328 for runtime instruction patching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

An identification apparatus and method for identifying the microprocessor, including a read-only memory for storing microprocessor ID data having data fields for identifying the microprocessor, and control logic for executing an ID instruction that reads the microprocessor ID data from the read-only memory and stores it in a register that can be selectively read by a programmer. The identification apparatus and method also include an ID flag indicative of implementation of the ID instruction in the microprocessor, and a test flag program for testing the ID flag to determine whether or not to execute the ID instruction. The method is available at any time while the microprocessor is operating, for example during initialization of the system software, installation of a program, or while a program is running. Once a microprocessor has been identified, features appropriate to the specific microprocessor can be enabled, and work-around programs can be installed. The method prevents execution of the ID instruction on microprocessors that do not have the identification system, and prevents execution of the test flag program on microprocessors that do not have a test flag location. The invention is particularly useful for groups of compatible microprocessor families whose development is continually advancing with introduction of new families and models.

Claims

1. In a microprocessor formed on an integrated circuit, an identification apparatus for identifying the microprocessor in response to a supplied ID instruction, said identification apparatus comprising:

a first register for storing and reading data;

a read-only memory storing microprocessor ID data including data fields that identify the microprocessor type;

a decoder for receiving and decoding an ID instruction; and

control circuitry coupled to the first register, the read-only memory and the decoder, including ID instruction execution means responsive to a decoded ID instruction including for executing the ID instruction received from the decoder, including reading the microprocessor ID data from the read-only memory and storing said microprocessor ID data in the first register.

2. The microprocessor of claim 1 wherein the read-only memory includes a processor ID register formed in the microprocessor.

3. The microprocessor of claim 1 further including a control ROM and a microcode memory, wherein the microprocessor ID data is stored in said control ROM.

4. The microprocessor of claim 1 further comprising:

a read/write memory element including an ID flag indicative of the existence of said control circuitry for executing an ID instruction; and

a test means for testing the ID flag.

5. The computer microprocessor of claim 4 wherein the read/write memory element comprises a control register, and the ID flag comprises one of the bits of said control register.

6. The microprocessor of claim 1 wherein the data fields in the read-only memory include:

a family field for storing data indicative of the family of the microprocessor;

a model field for storing data indicative of the model of the microprocessor; and

a revision field for storing data indicative of the stepping ID of the microprocessor.

7. The microprocessor of claim 6 wherein the read-only memory includes reserved bits that are not implemented, whereby the reserved bits have a position within the read-only memory.

8. The microprocessor of claim 7, further including a second general purpose register, and wherein the ID instruction execution means includes means for clearing said second general purpose register.

9. In a computer microprocessor, an identification apparatus for identifying the computer microprocessor in response to a CPUID instruction, said identification apparatus comprising:

a general purpose register for storing and reading data;

a microprocessor ID memory element for storing microprocessor ID data including data fields that identify the microprocessor type;

a decoder for receiving instructions;

a control means for executing instructions received from the decoder, said control means including CPUID executing means for executing a CPUID instruction that reads the microprocessor ID data from the ID memory element and supplies said microprocessor ID data to the general purpose register;

a read/write memory element including an ID flag indicative of the existence of said microprocessor ID memory element and said CPUID executing means;

test program means for supplying a sequence of instructions to the decoder and the control means, said sequence including instructions to read said read/write memory element and for testing the ID flag to ascertain the existence of said microprocessor ID memory element; and

program means responsive to the test program means for supplying the CPUID instruction to the decoder and the control means.

10. The microprocessor of claim 9 wherein the microprocessor ID memory element includes a processor ID register formed in the microprocessor.

11. The microprocessor of claim 10 wherein the microprocessor ID memory element includes reserved bits, so that the reserved bits have a position within the microprocessor ID memory element but are not assigned a meaning.

12. The microprocessor of claim 9 further including a control ROM and a microprocessor, and the microprocessor ID data is stored in said control ROM.

13. The computer microprocessor of claim 9 wherein the data fields include:

a family field for storing data indicative of the family of the computer microprocessor;

a model field for storing data indicative of the model of the computer microprocessor; and

a revision field for storing data indicative of the version of the computer microprocessor.

14. The microprocessor of claim 9, further including a second general purpose register, and wherein the CPUID executing means includes means for clearing said second general purpose register.

15. A computer-implemented method for identifying a microprocesser that is a member of a set of microprosser families comprising a first group that does not implement a microprosser ID instructing and a second group that does not implement the micrprosser ID instruction, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) executing a flag test instruction sequence that tests an ID flag to determined wheather the microprosser is in the first group or the second group;

(b) if execution of said flag test instruction sequence in the step (a) indicates that the microprocessor is in the first group, then avoiding execution of a microprocessor ID instruction following the flag test instruction sequence; and

(c) if execution of said flag test instruction sequence in the step (a) indicates that the microprocessor is in the second group, then executing a microprocessor ID instruction following the flag test instruction sequence to load the contents of a microprocessor ID memory element within said microprocessor that includes microprocessor ID data indicative of microprocessor type to a general purpose register.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 further comprising the step of applying the microprocessor ID data to enable a microprocessor feature appropriate to the identified microprocessor.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 wherein the microprocessor ID data includes stepping ID identification information indicative of the errata of the microprocessor, and the method further comprises the step of applying the stepping ID information to implement a work-around program for the errata.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 wherein the step (c) includes clearing a second general purpose register.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 15 wherein the step (b) includes executing an instruction that reads data fields including a family field, a model field, and a revision field of the microprocessor ID memory element to the general purpose register.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

(d) examining the family field and the model field in the general purpose register; and

(e) enabling features of the microprocessor appropriate to the family and model of the identified microprocessor.

21. The computer implemented method of claim 20 further comprising a step (f) of examining the revision field, and enabling a work-around program appropriate to the identified microprocessor version.

22. A computer-implemented method for identifying a microprocessor that is a member of a set of compatible microprocessor families including an advanced set of families having an ID flag location in a flags register and a basic set of families not having an ID flag location in the flags register, the advanced set of families including a first group that does not implement a microprocessor ID instruction and a second group that does implement the microprocessor ID instruction including a microprocessor ID memory element storing microprocessor ID data including data fields that identify the microprocessor type, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining if the microprocessor is a member of the basic set of families or a member of the advanced set of families;

(b) if said microprocessor is a member of the advanced set of families, then

(b)(i) executing a flag test instruction sequence that tests an ID bit to determine whether the microprocessor is in the first group or the second group of the advanced set of families,

(b)(ii) if execution of said flag test instruction sequence in the step (b)(i) indicates that the microprocessor is in the first group, then preventing execution of a microprocessor ID instruction following the test bit instruction, and

(b)(iii) if execution of said flag test instruction sequence in the step (b)(ii) indicates that the microprocessor is in the second group, then executing a microprocessor ID instruction following the test bit instruction to supply the contents of said microprocessor ID memory element to a programmer; and

,

(c) if the microprocessor is a member of the basic set of families, then avoiding execution of an instruction that would otherwise test the ID bit, and avoiding execution of the microprocessor ID instruction.

23. The computer implemented method of claim 22 further comprising a step (d) of enabling a feature of the microprocessor appropriate to the microprocessor identified by the microprocessor ID memory element, and enabling a work-around program as appropriate to the identified microprocessor.

24. The computer implemented method of claim 22 wherein the step (b) includes executing an instruction that reads data fields including a family field, a model field, and a revision field of the microprocessor ID memory element to the register.

25. The computer implemented method of claim 24 further comprising a step (d) of reading the family field and the model field but not the revision field, and enabling a feature of the microprocessor appropriate to the family and model of the identified microprocessor.

26. The computer implemented method of claim 25 further comprising a step (e) of reading the revision field but not the family field or the model field, and enabling a work-around program appropriate to the identified microprocessor.