Command requests for hardware accelerators

Abstract

At least one hardware accelerator 22 is configurable, based on instructions executed by processing circuitry 6, to perform a delegated task. Accelerator control interface circuitry 25 is responsive to an accelerator command launch instruction executed by the processing circuitry, to output a command request to a given hardware accelerator. The command request is associated with command data for configuring the given hardware accelerator to perform the delegated task. Whether or not the given hardware accelerator is required to acknowledge the command data or not depends upon the type of accelerator command launch instruction. When the instruction is an accelerator command-with-response launch instruction, the command request comprises a command-with-response request indicating that the given hardware accelerator is to acknowledge the command data. When the accelerator command launch instruction is an accelerator command-without response launch instruction, the command request comprises a command-without-response request indicating that the given hardware accelerator does not need to acknowledge the command data.