Abstract: A programmable processor that comprises a general purpose processor architecture, capable of operation independent of another host processor, having a virtual memory addressing unit, an instruction path and a data path; an external interface; a cache operable to retain data communicated between the external interface and the data path; at least one register file configurable to receive and store data from the data path and to communicate the stored data to the data path; and a multi-precision execution unit coupled to the data path. The multi-precision execution unit is configurable to dynamically partition data received from the data path to account for an elemental width of the data and is capable of performing group floating-point operations on multiple operands in partitioned fields of operand registers and returning catenated results. In other embodiments the multi-precision execution unit is additionally configurable to execute group integer and/or group data handling operations.

Abstract: A virtual memory system including a local-to-global virtual address translator for translating local virtual addresses having associated task specific address spaces into global virtual addresses corresponding to an address space associated with multiple tasks, and a global virtual-to-physical address translator for translating global virtual addresses to physical addresses. Protection information is provided by each of the local virtual-to-global virtual address translator, the global virtual-to-physical address translator, the cache tag storage, or a protection information buffer depending on whether a cache hit or miss occurs during a given data or instruction access. Memory area priority protection is achieved by employing a gateway instruction which includes a gateway register pointer and the priority level of the instruction. The gateway register holds a pointer to a specific entry point within a high priority area within memory at which the lower priority gateway instruction may enter it.

Abstract: A virtual memory system including a local-to-global virtual address translator for translating local virtual addresses having associated task specific address spaces into global virtual addresses corresponding to an address space associated with multiple tasks, and a global virtual-to-physical address translator for translating global virtual addresses to physical addresses. Local-to-global virtual translation is performed by either mapping local virtual addresses to a single global virtual address space or to multiple global virtual address spaces. The local-to-global virtual translator includes a cell which corresponds to each local address space for performing the translations. In a memory system in which both data and instruction address accesses are performed, separate cache and tag structures are employed for handling each of the data and instruction memory accesses. In addition, the cache is configurable such that it can be configured into a buffer portion or a cache portion for faster cache accesses.

Abstract: A non-volatile, static magnetic memory device, whose operation is based on the Hall effect, is disclosed. The device includes a magnetic patch which stores data in the form of a magnetic field, a semiconductor Hall bar and a pair of integrally-formed bipolar transistors used for amplifying and buffering the Hall voltage produced along the Hall bar. Current is forced to flow down the length of the Hall bar causing a Hall voltage to be developed in a direction transverse to the direction of both the magnetic field and the current. The bases of the bipolar transistors are ohmically coupled to the Hall bar to sense the Hall voltage--the polarity of which is representative of the stored information. A system of current carrying conductors is employed for writing data to individual magnetic patches.