Abstract: A processor that includes a register file, a latency shifter, a decode unit and a plurality of functional units is introduced. The register file includes a write port. The latency shifter includes a plurality of shifter entries and shifts out a shifter entry among the shifter entries every clock cycle. Each of the shifter entries is associated with a clock cycle and each of shifter entries includes a writeback value that indicates whether the write port of the register file is available for a writeback operation in the associated clock cycles. The decode unit is configured to decode an instruction and issue the instruction according to the writeback value of the latency shifter. The functional units are coupled to the decode unit and the register file and are configured to execute the instruction issued by the decode unit and perform writeback operation to the write port of the register file.

Abstract: A processor that includes a register file, a latency shifter, a decode unit and a plurality of functional units is introduced. The register file includes a write port. The latency shifter includes a plurality of shifter entries and shifts out a shifter entry among the shifter entries every clock cycle. Each of the shifter entries is associated with a clock cycle and each of shifter entries includes a writeback value that indicates whether the write port of the register file is available for a writeback operation in the associated clock cycles. The decode unit is configured to decode an instruction and issue the instruction according to the writeback value of the latency shifter. The functional units are coupled to the decode unit and the register file and are configured to execute the instruction issued by the decode unit and perform writeback operation to the write port of the register file.

Abstract: A processor includes a prediction table, a prediction logic circuit, and a prediction verification circuit. The prediction table has a plurality of sets, each of the sets has a hot way number, at least one warm way number, and at least one confidence value corresponding to the at least one warm way number. The prediction logic circuit generates a prediction result by predicting if the at least one warm way number is an opened way. The prediction verification circuit generates a correct/incorrect information according to the prediction result, and generates an update information according to the correct/incorrect information. The prediction verification circuit updates the hot way number, the at least one warm way number and the at least one confidence value of the at least one warm way number according to the update information.

Abstract: A method and a device for accessing a cache memory are provided. The method comprises: generating, by a bit prediction unit (BPU), a prediction bit corresponding to an instruction instructing to access the cache memory from a central processing unit (CPU); generating, by an instruction execution unit (IEU), a virtual address corresponding to the instruction; generating, by a load/store unit (LSU), a predicted cache index according to the prediction bit and a part of a virtual page offset of the virtual address; and reading, by the LSU, data from the cache memory by using the predicted cache index. Therefore, the maximum size of the cache memory could be increased.

Abstract: The invention provides a processor including a prediction table, a prediction logic circuit, and a prediction verification circuit. The prediction table has a plurality of sets respectively corresponding to a plurality of cache sets of a cache memory in the cache system, each of the sets has a plurality of confidence values, and the prediction table provides the confidence values of a selected set according to the index. The prediction logic circuit receives the confidence values of the selected set, and generates a prediction result by judging whether each of the confidence values of the selected set is larger than a threshold value or not. The prediction verification circuit receives the prediction result, generates a correct/incorrect information according to the prediction result, and generates an update information according to the correct/incorrect information. Wherein, the prediction verification circuit updates the confidence values of the prediction table according to the update information.

Abstract: A data processing system includes a control register, a program counter and a controller. The control register is used to store a level status of an execution flow and at least one return address. When the controller reads a block call instruction while a level status of the execution flow has an initial value, the controller stores a return address of the block call instruction in the control register, increments a value of the level status, and redirects the execution flow to a target address indicated by the block call instruction. When the controller reads a block return instruction and the value of the level status is not equal to the initial value, the controller decrements the value of the level status. If the value of the level status becomes equal to the initial value, the controller redirects the execution flow to the return address.

Abstract: A secure protection method executed by a processor is provided. The secure protection method includes the following steps: Perform a security checking before or after executing an instruction according to an instruction security attribute (ISA) of the instruction and a security attribute (SA) of an operational event (OE); and ignore the OE, defer the OE, or raise a security exception when the security checking fails. The OE is generated as a side effect when the processor fetches or executes the instruction, or generated as a monitoring result on the instruction, or generated in response to an external input of the processor.

Abstract: A peripheral interface circuit and a peripheral memory system are provided. The peripheral interface circuit includes an interface sequencer, an input/output controller, a register unit and a data buffer. The interface sequencer receives requests from the input/output controller and accesses the peripheral memory in response to the requests. The data buffer is randomly accessed by address. If target data of the data access request exists in the data buffer, the input/output controller returns data from the data buffer in response to the request; if target data of the data access request does not exist in the data buffer, the input/output controller sends an interface request to the interface sequencer to access the peripheral memory and keeps a copy of at least the target data in the data buffer.

Abstract: A method and a device for accessing a cache memory are provided. The method comprises: generating, by a bit prediction unit (BPU), a prediction bit corresponding to an instruction instructing to access the cache memory from a central processing unit (CPU); generating, by an instruction execution unit (IEU), a virtual address corresponding to the instruction; generating, by a load/store unit (LSU), a predicted cache index according to the prediction bit and a part of a virtual page offset of the virtual address; and reading, by the LSU, data from the cache memory by using the predicted cache index. Therefore, the maximum size of the cache memory could be increased.

Abstract: The trace information encoding method includes: receiving events from at least one processor; generating a stream of data packets according to the events, wherein each of the data packets is composed of N data blocks, and N is a positive integer; and, writing a boundary values to each of the N data blocks.

Abstract: An electronic system, a system diagnostic circuit, and an operation method thereof are provided. The system diagnostic circuit includes a data register circuit, an instruction register circuit, a diagnostic controller circuit, a control register circuit, and a detect circuit. The diagnostic controller circuit determines to transmit test data to the instruction register circuit or the data register circuit according to an operating state. The detect circuit update the control register circuit when the first test data transmitted to the data register circuit meets a predefined pattern.

Abstract: The method for decoding a serially transmitted signal including: sampling the serially transmitted signal to obtain a plurality of sampled values according to a sampling period; obtaining a period of the serially transmitted signal according to a transition status of the sampled values; calculating a plurality of phase values according to the period and the transition status of the sampled values; obtaining a plurality of boundaries according to the phase values; and outputting a decoded data according to the boundaries and the transition status.

Abstract: A method for compressing instruction is provided, which includes the following steps. Analyze a program code to be executed by a processor to find one or more instruction groups in the program code according to a preset condition. Each of the instruction groups includes one or more instructions in sequential order. Sort the one or more instruction groups according to a cost function of each of the one or more instruction groups. Put the first X of the sorted one or more instruction groups into an instruction table. X is a value determined according to the cost function. Replace each of the one or more instruction groups in the program code that are put into the instruction table with a corresponding execution-on-instruction-table (EIT) instruction. The EIT instruction has a parameter referring to the corresponding instruction group in the instruction table.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for software-hardware authentication of an electronic apparatus includes receiving a challenge string (CS) from the electronic apparatus through a challenge string input port (CSIP). The challenge string is a string of trace data generated according to some operations of software running on the electronic apparatus. An authentication result for use in an authentication process for the software to authenticate a hardware unit of the electronic apparatus or for the hardware unit to authenticate the software is generated according to the string of the trace data. The authentication process is performed according to the generated authentication result.

Abstract: A microprocessor is provided, which includes a processor core and an instruction loop cache. The processor core provides a fetch address of an instruction stream. The fetch address includes a tag and an index. The instruction loop cache receives the fetch address from the processor core. The instruction loop cache includes a cache array and a tag storage. The cache array stores multiple cache entries. Each cache entry includes a tag identification (ID). The cache array outputs the tag ID of the cache entry indicated by the index of the fetch address. The tag storage stores multiple tag values and output the tag value indicated by the tag ID output by the cache array. The instruction loop cache determines whether a cache hit or a cache miss occurs based on a bitwise comparison between the tag of the fetch address and the tag value output by the tag storage.

Abstract: A hardware configuration apparatus is provided. The hardware configuration apparatus is a part of a hardware system and the hardware system includes at least one function. The hardware configuration apparatus includes an interface unit, a resolution unit, and an output generation unit. For each function of the hardware system, the resolution unit generates a current setting corresponding to the function based on a default setting corresponding to the function and function settings of a plurality of secure configuration entries (SCEs) corresponding to the function. The interface unit is coupled to the resolution unit and a storage storing the SCEs. The interface unit provides the SCEs to the resolution unit. The output generation unit is coupled to the resolution unit. For each function of the hardware system, the output generation unit outputs a configuration signal to enable or disable the function according to the current setting corresponding to the function.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for software-hardware authentication of an electronic apparatus includes receiving a challenge string (CS) from the electronic apparatus through a challenge string input port (CSIP). The challenge string is a string of trace data generated according to some operations of software running on the electronic apparatus. An authentication result for use in an authentication process for the software to authenticate a hardware unit of the electronic apparatus or for the hardware unit to authenticate the software is generated according to the string of the trace data. The authentication process is performed according to the generated authentication result.

Abstract: A microprocessor is provided, which includes a processor core and an instruction loop cache. The processor core provides a fetch address of an instruction stream. The fetch address includes a tag and an index. The instruction loop cache receives the fetch address from the processor core. The instruction loop cache includes a cache array and a tag storage. The cache array stores multiple cache entries. Each cache entry includes a tag identification (ID). The cache array outputs the tag ID of the cache entry indicated by the index of the fetch address. The tag storage stores multiple tag values and output the tag value indicated by the tag ID output by the cache array. The instruction loop cache determines whether a cache hit or a cache miss occurs based on a bitwise comparison between the tag of the fetch address and the tag value output by the tag storage.

Abstract: A constant data accessing system having a constant pool comprises a computer processor having a constant pool base register, a compiler having a constant pool handler, and an instruction set module having a constant pool instruction set unit. The constant pool base register is configured to store a value of constant pool base address of one or a plurality of subroutines which have constants to be accessed.

Abstract: A method for compressing instruction is provided, which includes the following steps. Analyze a program code to be executed by a processor to find one or more instruction groups in the program code according to a preset condition. Each of the instruction groups includes one or more instructions in sequential order. Sort the one or more instruction groups according to a cost function of each of the one or more instruction groups. Put the first X of the sorted one or more instruction groups into an instruction table. X is a value determined according to the cost function. Replace each of the one or more instruction groups in the program code that are put into the instruction table with a corresponding execution-on-instruction-table (EIT) instruction. The EIT instruction has a parameter referring to the corresponding instruction group in the instruction table.