Register Renaming Circuit for Single-Thread Register Dependency Conflicts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing processor architectures face challenges with architectural register dependencies, out-of-order and in-order executions, circuit complexities, and inefficient compiler technologies, leading to inefficient instruction pipeline designs and high silicon areas, which are not suitable for high-performance computing.
Innovation Solution
A hardware implementation of a register renaming circuit with a conflict detector and mapping circuit to dynamically resolve register conflicts by renaming architectural registers to different physical registers, using a conflict detector circuit to identify conflicts and a mapping circuit to change architectural registers and map them to available physical registers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional compiler technologies are used to resolve register conflicts, then code generation is simpler, but instruction pipeline efficiency deteriorates due to inefficient register allocation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a register renaming circuit as an intermediary component between the instruction pipeline and physical registers. This circuit includes a conflict detector that identifies register conflicts and a mapping circuit that resolves them by allocating different physical registers, thereby improving pipeline efficiency without requiring complex compiler interventions
Solution Approach 2:
The register renaming circuit performs self-service by automatically detecting and resolving its own register conflicts through hardware-based conflict detection and dynamic mapping, eliminating the need for external compiler assistance and enabling the system to handle register allocation independently
2Productivity
If hardware solutions are implemented to resolve register conflicts, then instruction pipeline efficiency improves, but silicon area increases due to overly complicated circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The register renaming circuit is segmented into distinct functional modules: a conflict detector circuit that identifies register conflicts and a mapping circuit that resolves them. This segmentation allows each module to perform its specific function with minimal complexity, reducing overall silicon area while maintaining high instruction pipeline efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The mapping circuit dynamically allocates physical registers based on real-time conflict detection results, allowing the system to adapt to varying instruction patterns without requiring a fixed, oversized register allocation structure, thereby optimizing silicon area usage
3Productivity
If architectural register dependencies are maintained, then program semantics are preserved, but instruction pipeline throughput decreases due to execution dependencies
Solution Approach 1:
The mapping circuit creates copies of architectural register references by mapping them to different physical registers when conflicts are detected. This copying mechanism allows multiple instructions to reference the same architectural register independently, enabling out-of-order execution while preserving the original program semantics through the architectural interface
Solution Approach 2:
The register renaming circuit acts as an intermediary layer between architectural registers and physical registers, allowing the system to maintain architectural register dependencies for semantic correctness while resolving physical register conflicts to enable high throughput execution through out-of-order processing
Data Source
AI summary
A technique for register renaming is disclosed. A conflict detector circuit is configured to detect a register conflict between a first decoded instruction and a second decoded instruction. The register conflict is associated with a first architectural register and a first physical register corresponding to the first architectural register. A mapping circuit is configured to change the first architectural register to a second architectural register and to map the second architectural register to a second physical register different from the first physical register. The first decoded instruction and the second decoded instruction are decoded from a single thread in a processing element (PE).