Abstract: A processor for building a homogeneous dual computing system is shown. The processor has a trusted core, a normal core, and a shared cache. The trusted core has an access right to an isolated storage space of a system memory. The normal core is homogeneous with the trusted core, and is prohibited from accessing the isolated storage space. In response to a cache flush instruction issued by the normal core, the trusted core initiates and executes a second cache write-back instruction that is different from the first cache write-back instruction. According to the second cache write-back instruction, isolated data associated with the isolated storage space and cached in the shared cache is written back to the isolated storage space before being flushed.

Abstract: A processor for building a homogeneous dual computing system is shown. The processor provides two homogeneous cores. One is used as a trusted core and the other is used as a master core. The trusted core has an access right to an isolated storage space of a system memory. The master core is a normal core that is prohibited from accessing the isolated storage space. The trusted core has a first cryptographic module. In response to a reset of the trusted core, the first cryptographic module operates for firmware verification. This is how the trusted core turns on the processor using trusted firmware.

Abstract: A method for executing new instructions is provided. The method is used in a processor and includes: receiving an instruction; when the received instruction is an unknown instruction, executing a conversion program by an operating system, wherein the conversion program executes the following steps: determining whether the received instruction is a new instruction; converting the received instruction into at least one old instruction when the received instruction is a new instruction; and executing the at least one old instruction.

Abstract: A trusted computing technology is shown. An isolated memory stores a security interrupt descriptor table (SIDT) to correspond to security interrupts triggered by security peripherals. A first register of the trusted core stores a first address pointing to the SIDT. A local advanced programmable interrupt controller in the trusted core provides an interrupt arbiter that arbitrates between peripheral interrupts received from the chipset. When producing an arbitration result showing that a target interrupt is a security interrupt, the interrupt arbiter outputs a security interrupt request and a security interrupt vector to trigger the trusted core to search the SIDT indicated by the first register, to get a target security interrupt descriptor for execution of the corresponding interrupt program.

Abstract: A computing system with trusted computing is shown. The processor includes a normal core, and a trusted core for trusted computing. The system memory provides a normal memory, and an isolated memory for trusted computing. The chipset for the communication among the processor, the system memory, and peripherals includes a monitor and records memory protection configuration information. According to the memory protection configuration information, the monitor permits security peripherals to access the isolated memory, and prohibits normal peripherals from accessing the isolated memory.

Abstract: A computing system with a first instruction of an instruction set architecture (ISA) for write-back and invalidation in a hierarchical cache structure based on one single designated key identification code, and a second instruction of ISA for write-back and invalidation in the hierarchical cache structure based on a plurality of designated key identification codes is shown. A decoder transforms the first or second instruction into at least one microinstruction. Based on the at least one microinstruction, one write-back and invalidation request is provided corresponding to each designated key identification code, to be passed to the hierarchical cache structure through a memory ordering buffer. For each write-back and invalidation request, the cache line write-back and invalidation regarding a designated key identification code is performed on a last-level cache first, and then is performed on the in-core cache modules.

Abstract: A technology for flushing a translation lookaside buffer (TLB) according to a designated key identification code (designated key ID). An instruction of an instruction set architecture is proposed to flush the TLB according to the designated key ID. A decoder transforms the instruction into at least one microinstruction. According to a flushing microinstruction included in the at least one microinstruction, a designated key ID is supplied to a control logic circuit of the TLB through a memory order buffer, so that the control logic circuit flushes matched entries in the TLB, wherein the matched entries match the designated key ID.

Abstract: A method for executing new instructions is provided. The method is used in a processor and includes: receiving an instruction; when the received instruction is an unknown instruction, executing a conversion program by an operating system, wherein the conversion program executes the following steps: determining whether the received instruction is a new instruction; converting the received instruction into at least one old instruction when the received instruction is a new instruction; and executing the at least one old instruction.

Abstract: A processor with protection of an isolated memory and protection method for the isolated memory accessible only by a trusted core are shown. A processor has a trusted core with a right to access an isolated memory planned on a system memory, a normal core prohibited from accessing the isolated memory, and a last-level cache shared by the trusted core and the normal core. The in-core cache structure of the normal core and the last-level cache are included in a hierarchical cache system. In response to a memory access request issued by the normal core, the hierarchical cache system determines whether the memory access request hits the isolated memory and, if yes, the hierarchical cache system rejects the memory access request.

Abstract: A method for executing target instructions and being used in a processor includes the steps of: receiving an instruction; determining whether the received instruction is a target instruction according to an operation code of the received instruction; when the received instruction is not the target instruction, executing the received instruction in a first mode; and when the received instruction is the target instruction, simulating the execution of the target instruction according to basic decoding information of the target instruction in a second mode. The basic decoding information includes the operation code, and is stored in an internal register.

Abstract: An instruction conversion system including a processor is provided. The processor receives a ready-for-execution instruction from an application program. The processor decodes the ready-for-execution instruction, and determines that the ready-for-execution instruction is an extended instruction. The processor sends the information of the ready-for-execution instruction to an external conversion system. The conversion system converts the ready-for-execution instruction into a converted instruction sequence, and then sends the converted instruction sequence to the processor for executions.

Abstract: An instruction simulation device and a method thereof are provided. The instruction simulation device includes a processor. The processor includes an instruction decoder which generates format information of a ready-for-execution instruction. The processor determines whether the ready-for-execution instruction currently executed by the processor is a compatible instruction or an extended instruction based on the format information of the ready-for-execution instruction. If the ready-for-execution instruction is an extended instruction under the new instruction set or the extended instruction set, the processor converts the ready-for-execution instruction into a simulation program corresponding to the extended instruction, and simulates an execution result of the ready-for-execution instruction by executing the simulation program. The simulation program is composed of at least one compatible instructions of the processor.

Abstract: A processor and a method for designating a demotion target to demote the demotion target from an in-core cache structure to an out-of-core cache structure is shown. In response to a cache data demotion instruction supported by an instruction set architecture, a first core of a processor operates a decoder to decode the cache data demotion instruction into microinstructions. According to the microinstructions, a demotion target designation request is transferred to a last-level cache (LLC) through a memory order buffer to drive the LLC to query an out-of-core cache table. According to the demotion target's cache status in the first core obtained from the out-of-core cache table, the LLC outputs a snoop request to the first core to snoop on the demotion target and demote the demotion target from the in-core cache structure of the first core to the LLC.

Abstract: A processor and a method for designating an in-core cache of a hierarchical cache system to perform writing-back and invalidation of cached data are shown. In response to an instruction that is in the instruction set architecture and is executed to designate a designated-level cache within the current core as a target to perform writing-back and invalidation, a decoder of the current core outputs microinstructions. According to the microinstructions, a level-designation request indicating the designated-level cache within the current core is transferred to the hierarchical cache system through the memory order buffer. In response to the level-designation request, the hierarchical cache system recognizes cache lines related to the designated-level cache of the current core, writes modified cache lines (which are obtained from the recognized cache lines) back to the system memory, and then invalidates all the recognized cache lines from the hierarchical cache system.

Abstract: An instruction conversion device, an instruction conversion method, an instruction conversion system, and a processor are provided. The instruction conversion device includes a monitor for determining whether a ready-for-execution instruction is an instruction that belongs to a new instruction set or an extended instruction set, wherein the new instruction set and the extended instruction set have the same type of the instruction set architecture as that of the processor. If the ready-for-execution instruction is determined as an extended instruction, this extended instruction is converted into a converted instruction sequence by means of the conversion system, this converted instruction sequence is then sent to the processor for executions, thereby extending the lifespans of the electronic devices embodied with old-version processors.

Abstract: A method for executing new instructions is provided. The method is used in a processor and includes: receiving an instruction; when the received instruction is an unknown instruction, the processor executes the following steps through a conversion program: determining whether the received instruction is a new instruction; and converting the received instruction into at least one old instruction when the received instruction is a new instruction; and simulating the execution of the received instruction by executing the at least one old instruction.

Abstract: An instruction simulation device and a method thereof are provided. The simulation device includes a monitor, which is configured to determine whether a ready-for-execution instruction is an instruction under a new/extended instruction set sharing the same instruction set architecture as that of the processor. If the ready-for-execution instruction is an extended instruction, it is converted into a simulation program which consists of a compatible instruction sequence further composed of at least one native instruction of the processor or a compatible instruction recognizable/executable by the processor. An execution result of the extended instruction is simulated by executing the simulation program, thereby extending the service life of an electronic appliance embodied with the disclosed simulation device therein.

Abstract: A method for executing new instructions includes the following steps: receiving an instruction and determining whether the received instruction is a new instruction. When the received instruction is the new instruction, entering a system management mode, and simulating the execution of the received instruction by executing at least one old instruction in the system management mode.

Abstract: A method for executing new instructions is provided. The method is used in a processor and includes: receiving an instruction; when the received instruction is an unknown instruction, executing a conversion program by an operating system, wherein the conversion program executes the following steps: determining whether the received instruction is a new instruction; converting the received instruction into at least one old instruction when the received instruction is a new instruction; and executing the at least one old instruction.

Abstract: A method for executing new instructions is provided. The method is used in a processor and includes: receiving an instruction; generating an unknown instruction exception when the received instruction is an unknown instruction; in response to the unknown instruction exception, executing the following steps through a conversion program: determining whether the received instruction is a new instruction; and converting the received instruction into at least one old instruction when the received instruction is a new instruction; and executing the at least one old instruction in the same execution mode as the received instruction.