An extended classification of inter-instruction dependency and its application in automatic synthesis of pipelined processors

The conventional classification of inter-instruction dependencies (data, anti and output dependencies) provides a basic scheme for the analysis of pipeline hazards in pipelined instruction set processors. However, it does not consider the relative spacial positions of micro-operations in the pipeline, thus providing limited hints to hardware designers and compiler writers about the hazard resolution in generalized pipeline structures. In this paper we propose an extension to the conventional classification of dependencies, which is capable of encapsulating the spacial/temporal relationship and providing precise hardware/software resolution strategies. The extension is derived by differentiating each class into three sub-classes: forward, stationary, and backward, according to the register access patterns in the pipeline. Hardware and software resolutions are associated to each class of dependency. These resolutions include forwarding and duplicate registers in the micro-architecture a...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 1993
• Where: MICRO
• Authors: Ing-Jer Huang, Alvin M. Despain
• Keywords: Hardware, Hardware/software Resolution Strategies, MICRO 1993, Pipeline Hazards, Pipeline Structure