Nearest Right Conflict Detection for Vector Registers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current conflict detection instructions for vector elements, such as VPCONFLICT, are inefficient in handling standard integer sizes and produce redundant information, leading to reduced performance and increased overhead, especially when dealing with wider vector registers.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a nearest right conflict detection instruction that outputs only the nearest conflicting index position for each vector element, reducing redundant information and supporting wider vector registers, along with the use of a double permute tree algorithm for efficient reduction operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional conflict detection instructions (VPCONFLICT) are used to detect conflicts in vector elements, then conflict detection functionality is provided, but instruction overhead increases and performance decreases due to redundant information output
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential conflict information (nearest conflicting index position) from the full conflict detection output. Instead of outputting all conflicting index positions as in conventional VPCONFLICT instructions, the new instruction outputs only the nearest right conflicting index position, eliminating redundant information and reducing instruction overhead while maintaining conflict detection functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the approach by focusing on what is most useful (nearest conflict) rather than what is traditionally provided (all conflicts). By outputting only the nearest conflicting index position rather than all conflicting positions, the instruction reduces output data size and improves performance for applications that primarily need to resolve the most immediate conflict.
2Loss of information
If conflict detection instructions output all conflicting index positions, then complete conflict information is provided, but redundant information increases leading to reduced performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the most relevant conflict information (nearest conflicting index) from the complete set of conflict positions. This selective extraction maintains sufficient information for conflict resolution while eliminating redundant data that would slow down processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing different levels of information detail based on what is actually needed for conflict resolution. Instead of uniformly providing all conflict positions, it provides only the nearest conflict position, which is the most critical information for resolving data dependencies efficiently.
3Adaptability or versatility
If standard conflict detection methods are used, then basic functionality is provided, but support for wider vector registers and standard integer sizes is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal conflict detection instruction that works efficiently across multiple vector register widths (256-bit, 512-bit, 1024-bit) and standard integer sizes (byte, word, dword). The instruction design is agnostic to specific register width or element size, making it broadly applicable while maintaining high efficiency through the nearest-right conflict output approach.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed embodiments relate to a new instruction for detecting conflicts in a set of vector elements. In one example, a system includes circuits to fetch, decode, and execute an instruction that includes an opcode, a destination vector identifier, and a source vector identifier, wherein the execution circuit is to, for each data element position of a source vector identified by the source vector identifier, determine a nearest matching data element position in the source vector storing a same data value as stored at the data element position, the nearest matching data element position located between the data element position and a least significant data element position of the source vector, and store, in a corresponding data element position of a destination vector identified by the destination vector identifier, a value identifying the determined nearest data element position.