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Memory access consolidation for SIMD processing elements having access indicators

  • US 7,363,472 B2
  • Filed: 10/09/2001
  • Issued: 04/22/2008
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method of retrieving a data item from a memory unit in a data processing apparatus comprising a SIMD (single instruction multiple data) array of processing elements, wherein the processing elements are operably divided into a plurality of processing blocks, the processing blocks being operable to process respective groups of data items and wherein the data processing apparatus includes said memory unit in which data items are stored at addresses therein, and to which the plurality of processing elements have access, the method comprising:

  • for each processing element in the array which requires access to the memory unit, setting an access indicator to indicate that the processing element concerned requires access to the memory unit, and storing a target address of the memory unit to which such access is required;

    selecting one of the processing elements having the access indicator set, and retrieving the stored target address from that selected processing element;

    transmitting the retrieved target address and transaction identification information to the processing elements in the array;

    for each processing element having the access indicator set, comparing the transmitted target address with the stored target address, and it the stored and transmitted target addresses are equivalent, clearing the access indicator and storing the transaction identification information;

    retrieving at least one data item stored at the transmitted target address in the memory unit;

    transmitting the at least one retrieved data item and associated transaction identification information to the processing elements in the array; and

    for each processing element having stored transaction identification information, comparing the stored transaction identification information with the transmitted transaction identification information, and if the stored transaction information is equivalent to the transmitted transaction information, receiving the or each retrieved data item.

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