Abstract: A simulation method and a simulation system are provided. The simulation system may be divided into an execution model and a processor model based on a JIT emulation engine. The execution model can call the JIT emulation engine to execute instructions, and obtain influence of instructions on a processor architectural status. The processor model may simulate an internal process of a target processor and determine whether to start/end a speculation. The execution model and the processor model may interact through a specific protocol. After the speculation is started, the simulation method may store an application running scene when the speculation is started, and redirect influence of speculation instructions on a memory to a memory snapshot. After the speculation is ended, the simulation method may also restore the application running scene to a status before the speculation is started, and cancel influence of the speculation instructions on the memory.

Abstract: A voltage regulator includes a first control circuit and a first voltage adjusting circuit. The first control circuit receives an output voltage and generates a first control signal according to the output signal. The first voltage adjusting circuit is coupled to the first control circuit, receives the first control signal, and adjusts the output voltage according to the first control signal.

Abstract: An instruction execution method suitable for being executed by a processor is provided. The first processor comprises a register alias table (RAT) and a reservation station. The instruction execution method includes: a register alias table receives a first micro-instruction and a second micro-instruction and issues the first micro-instruction and the second micro-instruction to the reservation station; and the reservation station assigns one of a plurality of execution units to execute the first micro-instruction, according to the first specific message of the first micro-instruction; and the reservation station assigns one of the execution units to execute the second micro-instruction, according to the second specific message of the second micro-instruction.

Abstract: A microprocessor is shown, in which a branch predictor and an instruction cache are decoupled by a fetch-target queue (FTQ). The branch predictor performs branch prediction for N instruction addresses in parallel in the same cycle, wherein N is an integer greater than 1. In the current cycle, the branch predictor finishes branch prediction for N instruction addresses in parallel and, among the N instruction addresses with finished branch prediction, those that are not bypassed and do not overlap previously-predicted instruction addresses are pushed into the fetch-target queue, to be read out later as an instruction-fetching address for the instruction cache. The previously-predicted instruction addresses are pushed into the fetch-target queue in a previous cycle.

Abstract: A prefetcher, an operating method of the prefetcher, and a processor including the prefetcher are provided. The prefetcher includes a prefetch address generating circuit, an address tracking circuit, and an offset control circuit. The prefetch address generating circuit generates a prefetch address based on first prefetch information and an offset amount. The address tracking circuit stores the prefetch address and a plurality of historical prefetch addresses. When receiving an access address, the offset control circuit updates the offset amount based on second prefetch information, the access address, the prefetch address, and the historical prefetch addresses, and provides the prefetch address generating circuit with the updated offset amount.

Abstract: A data processing method includes the following steps: a processor receives a symmetric wrapping key, and when an application needs to use a user private key, the processor executes an encryption and decryption instruction in a hardware-acceleration instruction-set. The encryption and decryption instruction is configured to apply the symmetric wrapping key to decrypt a wrapped private key that corresponds to the application to obtain the user private key. In addition, the symmetric wrapping key is stored in a model specific register of the processor.

Abstract: A multi-chip system and a data transmission method thereof are provided. The multi-chip system includes a first chip, a link unit, and a second chip. The first chip includes multiple transmitter (TX) channels and a first data processing module. The TX channels are configured to provide at least one transaction information. The first data processing module converts the at least one transaction information into at least one first data packet according to a general packet format and packs the at least one first data packet according to a specific packet format to generate a second data packet. The first data processing module merges two sets of second data packets into a third data packet and transmits the third data packet to the link unit. The second chip receives the third data packet through the link unit.

Abstract: A microprocessor with a multistep-ahead branch predictor is shown. The branch predictor is coupled to an instruction cache and has an N-stage pipelined architecture, which is configured to perform branch prediction to control the instruction fetching of the instruction cache. The branch predictor performs branch prediction for (N?1) instruction-address blocks in parallel, wherein the (N?1) instruction-address blocks include a starting instruction-address block and (N?2) subsequent instruction-address blocks. The branch predictor is thereby ahead of branch prediction of the starting instruction-address block. The branch predictor stores reference information about branch prediction in at least one memory and performs a parallel search of the memory for the branch prediction of the (N-1) instruction-address blocks.

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: The disclosure relates to an instruction conversion device, an instruction conversion method, an instruction conversion system, and a processor. 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 microprocessor with a solution to instruction fetching failure is shown. The branch predictor and the instruction cache are decoupled by a fetch target queue. In response to instruction fetching failure of a target fetching address, the instruction cache regains the target fetching address from the fetch target queue to restart the failed instruction fetching.

Abstract: Microcode combination of complex instructions is shown. A microprocessor includes an instruction queue, an instruction decoder, and a microcode controller. The instruction decoder is coupled to the instruction queue. The microcode controller is coupled to the instruction decoder and has a memory. The memory stores a combined microcode for M complex instructions arranged in a specific order, where M is an integer greater than 1. When the M complex instructions in the specific order have popped out of the first to M-th entries of the instruction queue, the instruction decoder operates the microcode controller to read the memory for the combined microcode with microcode reading trapping happened just once.

Abstract: A contact arrangement, including multiple contacts, is provided. The contacts are staggered. Some of the contacts form at least one contact group. The at least one contact group includes a pair of first contacts and eight second contacts. The pair of first contacts is a pair of differential signal contacts. The second contacts are arranged around the pair of first contacts. Two of the second contacts are arranged along a straight line perpendicular to a connecting line of the pair of first contacts. The position distribution and electrical properties of the other six of the second contacts are symmetrical to each other relative to the straight line.

Abstract: An acceleration technology for accessing system memory, which provides translation agent hardware that calculates the physical address of the system memory based on an access request issued from the device end. The translation agent hardware has a cache memory that stores information to speed up the calculation of the physical address. Each cache line corresponds to a last-recently used (LRU) index value, and the cache line with the greatest LRU index value is preferentially released to be reassigned. A counter counts a count value to show an isochronous caching demand. LRU index values of cache lines assigned to non-isochronous caching are kept not lower than the count value, and thereby isochronous caching takes precedence over non-isochronous caching.

Abstract: A processor and an operating method thereof are provided. The processor comprises a plurality of physical registers and a renaming circuit. The renaming circuit is coupled to the plurality of physical registers and is configured to receive an instruction sequence and check the instruction sequence. When a current instruction of the instruction sequence comprises a move instruction, the renaming circuit assigns a first physical register, which is assigned to a source logical register of the current instruction previously, to a destination logical register of the current instruction. The first physical register is one of the plurality of physical registers.

Abstract: A multi-chip system and a cache processing method are provided. The multi-chip system includes multiple chips. Each chip includes multiple clusters, a crossbar interface, and a snoop system. Each cluster corresponds to a local cache. The crossbar interface is coupled to the clusters and a crossbar interface of another chip. The snoop system is coupled to the crossbar interface and performs unidirectional transmission with the crossbar interface. The snoop system includes a snoop table module and multiple trackers. The snoop table module includes a shared cache, which records a snoop table. Multiple trackers are coupled to the snoop table module, query the snoop table in the shared cache according to a memory access request initiated by one of clusters, and update the snoop table according to a query result. The snoop table corresponds to a storage structure of the local cache corresponding to the clusters in all chips.

Abstract: A contact arrangement, including multiple contacts, is provided. The contacts are staggered. Some of the contacts form at least one contact group. The at least one contact group includes a first contact and six second contacts. The second contacts are arranged around the first contact. When the first contact is a power contact or a ground contact, the second contacts are signal contacts. When the first contact is a signal contact, three of the second contacts are power contacts or ground contacts and are not adjacent to each other.

Abstract: An electronic assembly is provided, including a wiring board, a control element, and a pair of first internal electrical connectors. The wiring board includes a mounting surface, a first patterned conductive layer, a plurality of second patterned conductive layers, a plurality of near conductive holes, a plurality of far conductive holes, and a first conductive path. The first patterned conductive layer is located between the mounting surface and the second patterned conductive layers. The control element is mounted on the mounting surface of the wiring board. The pair of first internal electrical connectors are mounted on the mounting surface of the wiring board, and are adapted for mounting a pair of memory modules. The first conductive path extends from the control element at least through the corresponding second patterned conductive layer and the first patterned conductive layer to the pair of first internal electrical connectors.

Abstract: A circuit, including a TAP circuit, a routing circuit, a first test path and a second test path, is provided. A first input terminal and a first output terminal of the routing circuit are respectively coupled to a scan output terminal and a first scan input terminal of the TAP circuit. A first terminal of the first test path is coupled to a second input terminal of the routing circuit. A second terminal of the first test path is coupled to a second output terminal of the routing circuit. A first terminal of the second test path is coupled to a third input terminal of the routing circuit. A second terminal of the second test path is coupled to a third output terminal of the routing circuit. The routing circuit couples the scan output terminal of the TAP circuit to the first scan input terminal of the TAP circuit or the first terminal of the first test path or the first terminal of the second test path.

Abstract: A processing system includes at least one core, at least one accelerator function unit (AFU), a microcontroller, and a memory access unit. The AFU and the core share a plurality of virtual addresses to access a memory. The microcontroller is coupled between the core and the AFU. The core develops and stores a task in one of the virtual addresses. The microcontroller analyzes the task and dispatches the task to the AFU. The AFU accesses the virtual address indicating where the task is stored through the memory access unit to executes the task.