Abstract: A method, an apparatus, and a computer program are provided to reduce the number of required latches in a deep pipeline wordline (WL) decoder. Traditionally, a signal local clock buffer (LCB) has been responsible for providing a driving signal to a WL driver. However, with this configuration, a large number of latches are utilized. To reduce this latch usage, a number of LCBs are employed, such that one latch can enable an increased number of WLs. Hence, the overall area occupied by latches is reduced and power consumption is reduced.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling rounding modes in a single instruction multiple data (SIMD) floating-point unit is disclosed. The SIMD floating-point unit includes a floating-point status-and-control register (FPSCR) having a first rounding mode bit field and a second rounding mode bit field. The SIMD floating-point unit also includes means for generating a first slice and a second slice. During a floating-point operation, the SIMD floating-point unit concurrently performs a first rounding operation on the first slice and a second rounding operation on the second slice according to a bit in the first rounding mode bit field and a bit in the second rounding mode bit field within the FPSCR, respectively.

Abstract: An apparatus, a method and a computer program product are provided for conserving energy during functional mode of a processor by disabling the scan chain. By inserting logic gating into the scan chain it is possible to disable the scan chain during the processor's functional mode. During functional mode the scan out port of the latch bit in a scan chain toggles, which leads to unnecessary energy consumption. By gating scan control signals and the scan out port of a latch bit, the scan chain segment between latch bits can be disconnected. Therefore, the scan control signals can disable the scan chain during functional mode.

Abstract: An apparatus, a method, and a computer program product are provided for time reduction and energy conservation during address distribution in a high speed memory macro. To address these concerns, this design divides the typical data arrays into sets of paired subarrays, divides the conventional memory address latches into separate sets, and interposes one set of memory address latches between each pair of subarrays. Therefore, time is saved because the address signals have less wire length to travel and energy is saved because only one set of address latches needs to be powered on for each transmission.

Abstract: An apparatus, a method, and a computer program are provided for fully utilizing a double precision Floating Point (FP) alignment shifter. In conventional FP adders, and other FP computational units, double precision FP alignment shifters are utilized to perform both double and single precision alignment shifts. However, when a conventional double precision FP alignment shifter is utilized for a single precision calculation, half of the available capacity of the double precision FP alignment shifter is wasted. Therefore, to better utilize the capacity of double precision FP alignment shifter, a modified alignment shifter is utilized that can perform either an alignment shift for a double precision calculation or two simultaneous (or nearly simultaneous) alignment shifts for two single precision calculations.

Abstract: The present invention provides for calculating a shift amount as a function of a plurality of numbers. At least one decoder and the at least one adder are coupled in parallel. A shifter is configured to compute a value in a plurality of shift stages, and wherein a bit group of the shift amount is employable to affect at least one of the plurality of shift stages, thereby decreasing processing time.

Abstract: A method, a computer program, and an apparatus are provided to protect transmission gates in a multiplexer (mux). Because transmission gates are much faster than the more convention AND-OR arrays, transmission gate usage in muxes are being used more often in high speed circuitry. However, transmission gate have a significant problem in that short circuit are possible for situations where there is not a one-hot select signal. Therefore, to eliminate the problem, logic gates are utilized specifically during Power-On Reset (POR) to force a one-hot selection to prevent any possible short circuits.

Abstract: A method, an apparatus, and a computer program are provided for predicting power consumption for chip. The model for predicting power consumptions is modified so at to provide a high degree of accuracy with a minimal amount of computing time. Traditionally, when modeling a chip, a vast amount of time and computer resources were required to predict power consumption. Techniques required less time and less computer power, but the accuracy also decreased. However, by breaking down a chip into macros and developing energy rules for each macro, simple techniques can be employed to accurately predict power consumption under real world conditions with a minimal amount of time and computing power.

Abstract: Systems and methods for decreasing the sensitivity of a sense amplifier to variations in the threshold voltages of the data line pull-down transistors by pre-charging the intermediate nodes of the sense amplifier to the voltages on the opposing bit lines when the sense amplifier is not enabled. In one embodiment, the intermediate nodes are coupled to the input bit lines through transistors that are switched on when the sense amplifier is not enabled and switched off when the sense amplifier is enabled. In one embodiment, the intermediate nodes are pre-charged to a predetermined voltage before being pre-charged to the voltages on the bit lines. In one embodiment, the bodies of the data line pull-down transistors may also be body-tied to the opposing intermediate nodes to increase current flow through these transistors, particularly on the side of the sense amplifier that will be pulled low when the sense amplifier is enabled.

Abstract: Systems and methods for increasing the amount of current that can flow through the data line pull-down transistors in a sense amplifier by tying the bodies of these transistors to a voltage other than ground. In one embodiment, the bodies of the data line pull-down transistors in a sense amplifier are tied to the intermediate nodes on the opposing side of the sense amplifier to increase the current flow through the data line pull-down transistors, and also to reduce the voltage at the intermediate node that will be pulled low by the action of the bit line transistors. In one embodiment, the sense amplifier also includes pre-charge circuits which pre-charge the intermediate nodes to a predetermined voltage that is not reduced by the threshold voltage of the pull-down transistors.

Abstract: Systems and methods for pre-charging opposing nodes in a sense amplifier to substantially the same voltage in order to reduce or eliminate malfunctions arising from differences in threshold voltages of transistors coupled to the opposing nodes. One embodiment is a method including providing a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) sense amplifier having intermediate nodes between the transistors coupling each output data line to the corresponding input bit line and pre-charging each intermediate node to a predetermined voltage while the sense amplifier is not enabled. In one embodiment, the intermediate nodes are pre-charged by coupling them to a voltage source through pre-charge paths that do not include the data line pull-down transistors. In one embodiment, the method also includes decoupling the pre-charge paths after pre-charging the intermediate nodes and then enabling the sense amplifier.

Abstract: Disclosed are a floating point execution unit, and a method of operating a floating point unit, to perform multiply/add operations using a plurality of operands from an instruction having a plurality of operand positions. The floating point unit comprises a multiplier for calculating a product of two of the operands, and an aligner for combining said product and a third of the operands. A first data path is used to supply to the multiplier operands from a first and a second of the operand positions of the instruction, and a second data path is used to supply the third operand to the aligner. The floating point unit further comprises a multiplexer on the second data path for selecting, for use by the aligner, either the operand from the second operand position or the operand from the third operand position of the instruction.

Abstract: An apparatus and computer program product are provided for improving a high-speed adder for Floating-Point Units (FPU) in a given computer system. The improved adder utilizes a compound incrementer, a compound adder, a carry network, an adder control/selector, and series of multiplexers (muxes). The carry network performs the end-around-carry function simultaneously to and independent of other required functions optimizing the functioning of the adder. Also, the use of a minimum number of muxes is also utilized to reduce mux delays.

Abstract: A floating point unit (FPU) which generates a correction signal and an inverted leading zero signal. Exponent logic, is configured to generate an exponent value, a first incremented exponent value, and a second incremented exponent value. Exponent adjust and rounding logic configured to receive the exponent value, the first incremented exponent value, and the second incremented exponent value. The exponent adjust and rounding logic is further configured to add the inverted leading zero signal to the first incremented exponent value and the second incremented exponent value, thereby producing an exponent output value, a first incremented exponent output value, and a second incremented exponent output value. Either the exponent output value, the first incremented exponent output value, or the second exponent output value are then selected.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for adding and multiplying floating-point operands such that a fixed-size mantissa result is produced. In accordance with the present addition method, the mantissa of a first floating-point operand is shifted in accordance with relative operand exponent information. Next, the first operand mantissa is added to the second operand mantissa. The addition step includes replacing a least significant non-overlapped portion of the first operand mantissa with a randomly-generated carry-in bit. In accordance with the multiplication method, a partial product array is generated from a pair of floating-point operand mantissas. Next, prior to compressing the partial product array into a compressed mantissa result, a lower-order bit portion of the partial product array is replaced with a randomly generated carry-in value.

Abstract: A disclosed byte execution unit receives byte instruction information and two operands, and performs an operation specified by the byte instruction information upon one or both of the operands, thereby producing a result. The byte instruction specifies either a count ones in bytes operation, an average bytes operation, an absolute differences of bytes operation, or a sum bytes into halfwords operation. In one embodiment, the byte execution unit includes multiple byte units. Each byte unit includes multiple population counters, two compressor units, adder input multiplexer logic, adder logic, and result multiplexer logic. A data processing system is described including a processor coupled to a memory system. The processor includes the byte execution unit. The memory system includes a byte instruction, wherein the byte instruction specifies either the count ones in bytes operation, the average bytes operation, the absolute differences of bytes operation, or the sum bytes into halfwords operation.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for implementing a logic circuit with integrated logic and latch design. A clock input is provided to the logic circuit. One or more static signal inputs are further provided to the logic circuit. One or more dynamic signal inputs are generated by dynamically gating the one or more static signal inputs with the clock signal. The one or more dynamic signal inputs are applied to the logic circuit, and one or more dynamic signal outputs of the logic circuit are generated. The one or more dynamic signal outputs are precharged, and the one or more dynamic signal outputs are evaluated. The one or more dynamic signal outputs are held when the one or more dynamic signal outputs are neither being precharged nor being evaluated. The one or more dynamic signal outputs are converted into one or more static signal outputs.

Abstract: A pulse generator circuit includes a first logic means, a second logic means, a first delay means, and a second delay means. The first logic means is for receiving an input clock signal. The first delay means is for delaying the input clock signal by a first delay time. The second logic means is for receiving a signal output from the first logic means. The second delay means is for delaying the signal output from the first logic means by a second delay time.

Abstract: A pulse generator circuit includes a first logic means, a second logic means, a first delay means, and a second delay means. The first logic means is for receiving an input clock signal. The first delay means is for delaying the input clock signal by a first delay time. The second logic means is for receiving a signal output from the first logic means. The second delay means is for delaying the signal output from the first logic means by a second delay time.