Abstract: Embodiments of apparatuses and methods for in-field testing of an integrated circuit (IC) are disclosed. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes an IC having circuitry to operate in a structural test mode, the structural test mode including a memory built-in self-test (MBIST) mechanism and an automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) mechanism; a microcontroller to enable and control the structural test mode during in-field operation of the IC; and a programmable logic device to support the ATPG mechanism.

Abstract: A processor includes a hardware-implemented pipeline and parallelization circuitry. The pipeline processes program code. The parallelization circuitry creates a first (earlier) segment and a second (later) segment of the program code to be processed in parallel. Each segment is an ordered sequence of instructions within the program code. A last store to a memory address is identified in the first segment. During parallelized processing of the first segment and the second segment, the parallelization circuitry controls second segment loads which are potentially dependent on the last store by: during processing of the first segment instructions, providing a release notification when the memory address is available for subsequent instructions, and, during processing of the second segment instructions, issuing a second segment load which is potentially dependent on the last store for execution after the release notification is provided.

Abstract: Method(s) for up/down fusion and/or pseudo-fusion of micro-operations are performed in a hardware processor configured to execute program code. A mergeable pair of micro-operations is identified in a sequence of micro-operations of the program code. The pair of micro-operations includes a first micro-operation for performing a first function and a non-consecutive second micro-operation for performing a second function. The first micro-operation precedes the second micro-operation in the sequence of micro-operations being processed. The first micro-operation is merged into the second micro-operation to create a third micro-operation which performs both the first function and the second function. In up/down fusion the third micro-operation is dispatched instead of the first micro-operation or instead of the second micro-operation, based on whether fuse-up or fuse-down is performed.

Abstract: Method(s) for up/down fusion and/or pseudo-fusion of micro-operations are performed in a hardware processor configured to execute program code. A mergeable pair of micro-operations is identified in a sequence of micro-operations of the program code. The pair of micro-operations includes a first micro-operation for performing a first function and a non-consecutive second micro-operation for performing a second function. The first micro-operation precedes the second micro-operation in the sequence of micro-operations being processed. The first micro-operation is merged into the second micro-operation to create a third micro-operation which performs both the first function and the second function. In up/down fusion the third micro-operation is dispatched instead of the first micro-operation or instead of the second micro-operation, based on whether fuse-up or fuse-down is performed.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for enhancing the throughput of a processor by minimizing the number of transfers of data associated with data transfer between a register file and a memory stack. The register file used by a processor running an application is partitioned into a number of blocks. A subset of the blocks of the register file is defined in an application binary interface enabling the subset to be pre-allocated and exposed to the application binary interface. Optionally, blocks other than the subset are not exposed to the application binary interface so that the data relating to application function switch or a context switch is not transferred between the unexposed blocks and a memory stack.

Abstract: A novel and useful cost effective mechanism for detecting the livelock/starvation of transactions in a ring shaped interconnect that utilizes minimal logic resources. Rather than monitor all transactions concurrently in the ring, the mechanism monitors only a single transaction in the ring. A sampling point is located at a point in the ring which contains a set of N latches. If the monitored transaction is not being starved, it is released and the detection logic moves on the next candidate transaction in round robin fashion. If the monitored transaction passes the sampling point a threshold number of times, it is deemed to be starved and a starvation prevention handling procedure is activated. By traversing the entire ring a single transaction at a time, all starving transactions will eventually be detected with an upper limit on the detection time of O(N2).

Abstract: A method and system for improving performance and latency of instruction execution within an execution pipeline in a processor. The method includes finding, while decoding an instruction, a pointer register used by the instruction; reading the pointer register; validating a pointer register entry; reading, if the pointer register entry is valid, a register file entry; validating a register file entry; validating, if the register file entry is invalid, a valid register file entry wherein the valid register file entry is in the register file's future file; bypassing, if the valid register file entry is valid, a valid register file value from the register file's future file to the execution pipeline wherein the valid register file value is in the valid register file entry; and executing the instruction using the valid register file value; wherein at least one of the steps is carried out using a computer device.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for enhancing the throughput of a processor by minimizing the number of transfers of data associated with data transfer between a register file and a memory stack. The register file used by a processor running an application is partitioned into a number of blocks. A subset of the blocks of the register file is defined in an application binary interface enabling the subset to be pre-allocated and exposed to the application binary interface. Optionally, blocks other than the subset are not exposed to the application binary interface so that the data relating to application function switch or a context switch is not transferred between the unexposed blocks and a memory stack.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for direct access to cache memory. Embodiments include receiving, by a direct access manager that is coupled to a cache controller for a cache memory, a region scope zero command describing a region scope zero operation to be performed on the cache memory; in response to receiving the region scope zero command, generating a direct memory access region scope zero command, the direct memory access region scope zero command having an operation code and an identification of the physical addresses of the cache memory on which the operation is to be performed; sending the direct memory access region scope zero command to the cache controller for the cache memory; and performing, by the cache controller, the direct memory access region scope zero operation in dependence upon the operation code and the identification of the physical addresses of the cache memory.

Abstract: A novel and useful cost effective mechanism for detecting the livelock/starvation of transactions in a ring shaped interconnect that utilizes minimal logic resources. Rather than monitor all transactions concurrently in the ring, the mechanism monitors only a single transaction in the ring. A sampling point is located at a point in the ring which contains a set of N latches. If the monitored transaction is not being starved, it is released and the detection logic moves on the next candidate transaction in round robin fashion. If the monitored transaction passes the sampling point a threshold number of times, it is deemed to be starved and a starvation prevention handling procedure is activated. By traversing the entire ring a single transaction at a time, all starving transactions will eventually be detected with an upper limit on the detection time of O(N2).

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for direct access to cache memory. Embodiments include receiving, by a direct access manager that is coupled to a cache controller for a cache memory, a region scope zero command describing a region scope zero operation to be performed on the cache memory; in response to receiving the region scope zero command, generating a direct memory access region scope zero command, the direct memory access region scope zero command having an operation code and an identification of the physical addresses of the cache memory on which the operation is to be performed; sending the direct memory access region scope zero command to the cache controller for the cache memory; and performing, by the cache controller, the direct memory access region scope zero operation in dependence upon the operation code and the identification of the physical addresses of the cache memory.