Reservation Station Entry Segmentation for Delinquent Store Handling

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing complexity and performance demands of computer systems lead to challenges in reservation stations, including increased size, performance reduction, and power consumption due to the addition of storage, particularly for delinquent store operations.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a secondary storage circuit for delinquent store operations and using smaller entries for specific types of operations, such as store-data entries, to increase the effective size of the reservation station while minimizing physical area, performance impact, and power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If more entries are added to the reservation station, then the number of instructions that can be stored is improved, but the physical area, power consumption, and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of instructions storedVSAvoidphysical area of reservation station

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The reservation station is segmented into multiple entry types (full entries for multi-source load/store operations, partial entries for single-source operations, and load-partial entries for slim loads). This segmentation allows the system to use smaller entry structures for frequently occurring operations, thereby increasing the total number of instructions that can be stored without proportionally increasing the physical area.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different entry types are used for different operational characteristics. Full entries are used where complete operation information is needed, while partial and load-partial entries are used where less information is required. This local differentiation optimizes the storage capacity per unit area by matching the entry structure to the specific operational needs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Quantity of substance

If more entries are added to the reservation station, then the number of instructions that can be stored is improved, but the power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of instructions storedVSAvoidpower consumption of reservation station

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting entries into different types with varying data requirements, the reservation station reduces the total amount of data that needs to be stored and processed. This segmentation directly reduces the capacitive load and switching energy requirements, thereby lowering power consumption while maintaining higher instruction storage capacity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different quality levels of data storage locally across different entry types. For operations that require complete information, full entries are used; for operations that require less information, partial entries are used. This local optimization reduces the overall energy consumption by minimizing the data handling requirements across the reservation station.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Quantity of substance

If more entries are added to the reservation station, then the number of instructions that can be stored is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of instructions storedVSAvoidmanufacturing cost of reservation station

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The reservation station uses a segmented entry structure that combines different types of entries (full, partial, load-partial) to achieve higher storage capacity. This segmentation allows for more efficient use of manufacturing resources by reducing the need for uniform full entries across all positions, thereby lowering overall manufacturing cost while increasing the number of instructions that can be stored.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different entry types are implemented at different locations within the reservation station based on operational frequency and data requirements. This local differentiation optimizes the manufacturing cost by using simpler, less expensive entry structures for frequently occurring operations, thereby reducing overall manufacturing complexity and cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Adaptability or versatility

If store operations are added to the reservation station, then the functionality is improved, but delinquent operations occur when data is unavailable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunctionality of reservation stationVSAvoidavailability of store operations

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system transfers delinquent store operations from full entries to secondary storage before they become problematic. This preliminary action ensures that operations are moved to appropriate storage locations in advance, preventing data unavailability and maintaining reliability while preserving the enhanced functionality of the reservation station.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12632255B2Reservation station with multiple entry types

Publication Date: 2026.05.19 APPLE INC

AI summary

A reservation station that includes a storage circuit with multiple full and partial entries is disclosed. A given store-data entry of the multiple partial entries may store less data than a given full entry of the multiple full entries. A control circuit may receive a load/store operation and, in response to a determination that the load/store operation includes only a single source, store the load/store operation in a particular partial entry of the multiple partial entries.