Reconfigurable Processor With Shared IF/ID Pipeline Stages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing reconfigurable processors face challenges in balancing energy efficiency, flexibility, and software compatibility, particularly in event-driven edge systems, with inefficiencies in pipeline stages and inter-core communication.
Innovation Solution
A reconfigurable processor design that allows pipelined processors to operate in multi-thread mode, sharing pipeline outputs and memory modules across threads, and utilizing systolic registers for intra-core and inter-core communication, with adaptable bit precision and a watchdog unit for error monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If each thread executes its own complete pipeline stages (IF, ID, EX), then thread independence and software compatibility are maintained, but energy consumption increases due to redundant pipeline execution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the IF and ID pipeline stages across multiple threads by implementing a shared instruction fetch and decode unit. Multiple threads share the same IF/ID pipeline output, eliminating redundant execution of these stages for each thread. This merging reduces energy consumption while maintaining thread independence in the execution stage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the pipeline into distinct functional regions: a shared IF/ID stage that serves multiple threads, and separate EX stages for each thread. This segmentation allows the system to optimize energy consumption in the control-intensive IF/ID stages while preserving thread independence in the execution-critical EX stages.
2Use of energy by moving object
If pipeline outputs are shared between threads, then energy efficiency improves, but software stack compatibility may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the IF/ID stages shareable (with relaxed requirements) while keeping the EX stages thread-specific (with strict requirements). The shared IF/ID portion handles control flow and instruction decoding with lower precision requirements, while each thread's EX stage maintains full precision and independence for software-compatible execution.
3Productivity
If multiple pipelined processors are used for parallel processing, then processing throughput increases, but energy consumption increases due to duplicate resources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the IF/ID pipeline stages across multiple pipelined processors, allowing them to share a common instruction fetch and decode unit. This eliminates the need for each processor to have its own complete pipeline, reducing redundant resource usage and energy consumption while maintaining parallel processing capability in the execution stages.
4Area of stationary object
If complete pipeline stages are replicated for each core, then core independence and flexibility are maintained, but area efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the IF/ID pipeline stages into a shared resource that serves multiple cores, significantly reducing the total chip area required. Each core retains its own EX stage for independence, while the shared IF/ID portion provides common instruction handling, achieving area efficiency without sacrificing core functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A reconfigurable processor is described in an embodiment. The reconfigurable processor comprising a pipelined processor and memory modules associated with the pipelined processor, the pipelined processor being configured to execute an instruction set in a multi-stage pipeline including an instruction fetch (IF) stage, an instruction decode (ID) stage and an execute (EX) stage, wherein the pipelined processor is further adapted to perform each of the IF, ID and EX stages as two or more interleaved threads in a multi-thread mode and to share an IF pipeline output of the IF stage and/or an ID pipeline output of the ID stage between the two or more interleaved threads. A method of improving an efficiency of the reconfigurable processor is also described in an embodiment.