Using Multi-op instructions as a way to generate ASIPs with optimized pipeline structure

Yosi Ben Asher, Irina Lipov, Vladislav Tartakovsky, Dror Tiv

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

We propose automatic synthesis of application specific instruction set processors (ASIPs). We use pipeline execution of multi-op machine-instructions, e.g., ∗(reg1∗reg2) = (∗reg3)+( ∗reg4) (C-syntax) an instruction with three memory stages and two arithmetic stages pipeline. The problem is, for a given set of loops, to find a pipeline configuration and a multiop ISA that maximizes the IPC (instructions per cycle) while minimizing the resource usage and the cost of interconnections to the register-file of the resulting CPU. The algorithm is based on finding an efficient cover of a large graph by a small set of convex sub-graphs gis that are consistent with a given structure of a pipeline. Unlike previous works, gis are not synthesized to circuits that are executed in a co-processor mode but rather both gis and the rest of the program are executed by the same set of multiop pipeline units. In this way we eliminate the overhead associated with the co-processor mode of regular ASIPs but maintain high values of IPC of these ASIPs. The main advantage of using pipeline execution of multi-op versus VLIW instructions is shown to be the cost of interconnections between the CPU's execution units and the register file. Thus, we devise a grading function that for each possible multi-op pipeline configuration balance between the expected IPC (Instructions Per Cycle) and the complexity of the interconnections. Using this grading function we show that in most cases the VLIW configuration is not always the best choice.

Original languageAmerican English
Title of host publicationProceedings - 2014 IEEE 22nd International Symposium on Field-Programmable Custom Computing Machines, FCCM 2014
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages29
Number of pages1
ISBN (Electronic)9781479951116
DOIs
StatePublished - 21 Jul 2014
Event22nd IEEE International Symposium on Field-Programmable Custom Computing Machines, FCCM 2014 - Boston, United States
Duration: 11 May 201413 May 2014

Publication series

NameProceedings - 2014 IEEE 22nd International Symposium on Field-Programmable Custom Computing Machines, FCCM 2014

Conference

Conference22nd IEEE International Symposium on Field-Programmable Custom Computing Machines, FCCM 2014
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityBoston
Period11/05/1413/05/14

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Hardware and Architecture
  • Software
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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