21264/EV68A Hardware Reference Manual
Privileged Architecture Library Code 6–9
Internal ProcessorRegister Access Mechanisms6.5.3 Hardware Structure of Implicitly Written IPRs
Implicitlywritten IPRs are physically built using only a single level of register, how-
ever theIPR has two hardware states associated with it:
1. DefaultState—The contents of the register may be written when an instruction gen-
eratesan exception. If an exception occurs, write a new value into the IPR and go to
state2.
2. Locked State—Thecontents of the register may only be overwrittenby an except-
ing instructionthat is older than the instruction associated with the contents of the
IPR. Ifsuch an exception occurs, overwrite the value of the IPR. When the trigger-
ing instruction,or instruction that is older than the triggering instruction, is killed
by the Ibox,go to state 1.
6.5.4 IPR Access Ordering
IPR accessmechanisms must allow values to be passed through eachIPR from a pro-
ducer toits intended consumers.
Table6–7 lists all of the paired instruction orderings between instructions of the four
IPR access types.It specifies whether access order must be maintained, and if so, the
mechanisms usedto ensure correct ordering.
Table 6–7 Paired I nstruction Fetch Order
Second
Instruction FirstInstruction
ImplicitReader Implicit Writer ExplicitReader ExplicitWriter
Implicit
Reader Read transac-
tionscan be
reordered.
No IPRs in this class. Readt ransactions can
bereordered. Avariety of mechanisms are
usedto ensure order:
scoreboard bits to stall issue of
reader;HW_RET_STALLto
stallreader; doublewrite plus
bufferblocks to force retire and
allowfor propagation delay.
Implicit
Writer No IPRs in this
class. Thehardwarestruc-
ture of implicitly
written IPRs handle s
this case.
IPR-specificPALcode
restrictionsare
requiredfor this case.
An interlockmecha-
nismmust be placed
betweenthe explicit
reader and the implicit
writer(a read transac-
tion).
No IPRs in this class.
Explicit
Reader Read transac-
tionscan be
reordered.
Ifthe reader is in the
PALcoderoutine
invokedby the
exception associated
withthe writer, then
orderingis guaran-
teed.
Read transactions can
bereordered. Scoreboardbits stall issue of
readeruntil writer is retired.