Abstract: A method for sorting elements in hardware structures is disclosed. The method comprises selecting a plurality of elements to order from an unordered input queue (UIQ) within a predetermined range in response to finding a match between at least one most significant bit of the predetermined range and corresponding bits of a respective identifier associated with each of the plurality of elements. The method further comprises presenting each of the plurality of elements to a respective multiplexer. Further the method comprises generating a select signal for an enabled multiplexer in response to finding a match between at least one least significant bit of a respective identifier associated with each of the plurality of elements and a port number of the ordered queue. Finally, the method comprises forwarding a packet associated with a selected element identifier to a matching port number of the ordered queue from the enabled multiplexer.

Abstract: A matrix of execution blocks form a set of rows and columns. The rows support parallel execution of instructions and the columns support execution of dependent instructions. The matrix of execution blocks process a single block of instructions specifying parallel and dependent instructions.

Abstract: A method for fast parallel adder processing. The method includes receiving parallel inputs from a communications path, wherein each input comprises one bit, adding the inputs using a parallel structure, wherein the parallel structure is optimized to accelerate the addition by utilizing a characteristic that the inputs are one bit each, and transmitting the resulting outputs to a subsequent stage.

Abstract: A method for dependency broadcasting through a source organized source view data structure.

Abstract: A method for weak stream software data and instruction prefetching using a hardware data prefetcher is disclosed. A method includes, determining if software includes software prefetch instructions, using a hardware data prefetcher, and, accessing the software prefetch instructions if the software includes software prefetch instructions. Using the hardware data prefetcher, weak stream software data and instruction prefetching operations are executed based on the software prefetch instructions, free of training operations.

Abstract: A method by a processor for performing multi-dispatch of instruction blocks. The method includes receiving an incoming sequence of instructions, grouping the instructions to form instruction blocks including a first instruction block, and performing a multi-dispatch of the first instruction block for execution on one or more execution units by dispatching the first instruction block multiple times, wherein different instructions within the first instruction block are executed for each dispatch.

Abstract: A method for predicting a way of a set associative shadow cache is disclosed. As a part of a method, a request to fetch a first far taken branch instruction of a first cache line from an instruction cache is received, and responsive to a hit in the instruction cache, a predicted way is selected from a way array using a way that corresponds to the hit in the instruction cache. A second cache line is selected from a shadow cache using the predicted way and the first cache line and the second cache line are forwarded in the same clock cycle.

Abstract: A method for managing mappings of storage on a code cache for a processor. The method includes storing a plurality of guest address to native address mappings as entries in a conversion look aside buffer, wherein the entries indicate guest addresses that have corresponding converted native addresses stored within a code cache memory, and receiving a subsequent request for a guest address at the conversion look aside buffer. The conversion look aside buffer is indexed to determine whether there exists an entry that corresponds to the index, wherein the index comprises a tag and an offset that is used to identify the entry that corresponds to the index. Upon a hit on the tag, the corresponding entry is accessed to retrieve a pointer to the code cache memory corresponding block of converted native instructions. The corresponding block of converted native instructions are fetched from the code cache memory for execution.

Abstract: A microprocessor implemented method for maintaining a guest return address stack in an out-of-order microprocessor pipeline is disclosed. The method comprises mapping a plurality of instructions in a guest address space into a corresponding plurality of instructions in a native address space. For each function call instruction in the native address space fetched during execution, the method also comprises performing the following: (a) pushing a current entry into a guest return address stack (GRAS) responsive to a function call, wherein the GRAS is maintained at the fetch stage of the pipeline, and wherein the current entry comprises information regarding both a guest target return address and a corresponding native target return address associated with the function call; (b) popping the current entry from the GRAS in response to processing a return instruction; and (c) fetching instructions from the native target return address in the current entry after the popping from the GRAS.

Abstract: A method of identifying instructions including accessing a plurality of instructions that comprise multiple branch instructions. For each branch instruction of the multiple branch instructions, a respective first mask is generated representing instructions that are executed if a branch is taken. A respective second mask is generated representing instructions that are executed if the branch is not taken. A prediction output is received that comprises a respective branch prediction for each branch instruction. For each branch instruction, the prediction output is used to select a respective resultant mask from among the respective first and second masks. For each branch instruction, a resultant mask of a subsequent branch is invalidated if a previous branch is predicted to branch over said subsequent branch. A logical operation is performed on all resultant masks to produce a final mask. The final mask is used to select a subset of instructions for execution.

Abstract: Methods for supporting wide and efficient front-end operation with guest architecture emulation are disclosed. As a part of a method for supporting wide and efficient front-end operation, upon receiving a request to fetch a first far taken branch instruction, a cache line that includes the first far taken branch instruction, a next cache line and a cache line located at the target of the first far taken branch instruction is read. Based on information that is accessed from a data table, the cache line and either the next cache line or the cache line located at the target is fetched in a single cycle.

Abstract: Systems and methods for flushing a cache with modified data are disclosed. Responsive to a request to flush data from a cache with modified data to a next level cache that does not include the cache with modified data, the cache with modified data is accessed using an index and a way and an address associated with the index and the way is secured. Using the address, the cache with modified data is accessed a second time and an entry that is associated with the address is retrieved from the cache with modified data. The entry is placed into a location of the next level cache.

Abstract: A method for populating a source view data structure by using register template snapshots. The method includes receiving an incoming instruction sequence using a global front end; grouping the instructions to form instruction blocks; using a plurality of register templates to track instruction destinations and instruction sources by populating the register template with block numbers corresponding to the instruction blocks, wherein the block numbers corresponding to the instruction blocks indicate interdependencies among the blocks of instructions; populating a source view data structure, wherein the source view data structure stores sources corresponding to the instruction blocks as recorded by the plurality of register templates; and determining which of the plurality of instruction blocks are ready for dispatch by using the populated source view data structure.

Abstract: A method for accelerating code optimization a microprocessor. The method includes fetching an incoming microinstruction sequence using an instruction fetch component and transferring the fetched macroinstructions to a decoding component for decoding into microinstructions. Optimization processing is performed by reordering the microinstruction sequence into an optimized microinstruction sequence comprising a plurality of dependent code groups. The plurality of dependent code groups are then output to a plurality of engines of the microprocessor for execution in parallel. A copy of the optimized microinstruction sequence is stored into a sequence cache for subsequent use upon a subsequent hit optimized microinstruction sequence.

Abstract: A method for translating instructions for a processor. The method includes accessing a guest instruction and performing a first level translation of the guest instruction using a first level conversion table. The method further includes outputting a resulting native instruction when the first level translation proceeds to completion. A second level translation of the guest instruction is performed using a second level conversion table when the first level translation does not proceed to completion, wherein the second level translation further processes the guest instruction based upon a partial translation from the first level conversion table. The resulting native instruction is output when the second level translation proceeds to completion.

Abstract: A method for dependency broadcasting through a source organized source view data structure is disclosed. The method comprises receiving an incoming instruction sequence using a global front end and grouping the instructions to form instruction blocks. Further, the method comprises populating the register template with block numbers corresponding to the instruction blocks, wherein the block numbers corresponding to the instruction blocks indicate interdependencies among the instruction blocks wherein an incoming instruction block writes its respective block number into fields of the register template corresponding to destination registers referred to by the incoming instruction block. The method also comprises populating a source organized source view data structure, wherein the source view data structure stores the instruction sources corresponding to the instruction blocks as read from the register template by incoming instruction blocks.

Abstract: A method for executing multithreaded instructions grouped into blocks. The method includes receiving an incoming instruction sequence using a global front end; grouping the instructions to form instruction blocks, wherein the instructions of the instruction blocks are interleaved with multiple threads; scheduling the instructions of the instruction block to execute in accordance with the multiple threads; and tracking execution of the multiple threads to enforce fairness in an execution pipeline.

Abstract: A method for populating a source view data structure by using register template snapshots. The method includes receiving an incoming instruction sequence using a global front end; grouping the instructions to form instruction blocks; using a plurality of register templates to track instruction destinations and instruction sources by populating the register template with block numbers corresponding to the instruction blocks, wherein the block numbers corresponding to the instruction blocks indicate interdependencies among the blocks of instructions; populating a source view data structure, wherein the source view data structure stores sources corresponding to the instruction blocks as recorded by the plurality of register templates; and determining which of the plurality of instruction blocks are ready for dispatch by using the populated source view data structure.

Abstract: Methods for supporting wide and efficient front-end operation with guest architecture emulation are disclosed. As a part of a method for supporting wide and efficient front-end operation, upon receiving a request to fetch a first far taken branch instruction, a cache line that includes the first far taken branch instruction, a next cache line and a cache line located at the target of the first far taken branch instruction is read. Based on information that is accessed from a data table, the cache line and either the next cache line or the cache line located at the target is fetched in a single cycle.

Abstract: A processor architecture includes a register file hierarchy to implement virtual registers that provide a larger set of registers than those directly supported by an instruction set architecture to facilitate multiple copies of the same architecture register for different processing threads, where the register file hierarchy includes a plurality of hierarchy levels. The processor architecture further includes a plurality of execution units coupled to the register file hierarchy.