(2.1.5) complexity effective superscalar processors

Subbarao Palacharla, Norman P. Jouppi and J. E. Smith. Complexity-effective Superscalar Processors, Proc. 24th Annual International Symposium on Computer Architecture, June 1997, pp. 206-218.



paper looks at complexity (in delay of critical path)

logic associated with issue window and data bypasses cause max delay

R10000 and DEC 21264 : register commit, active list
PowerPC, HP PA-8000, HAL SPARC 64 : rob holds non commited renamed register values. 
> diff : size of register file.

IW == issue width

checkpointing rename logic 
     RAM : logical address to phy addr direct 
          Trename = Tdecode + Twordline + Tbitline + Tsenseamp
          Tdecode, Twordline, Tbitline = c0 + c1 x IW + c2x IW^2
     CAM : phy reg to logical registers 

Wakeup logic
     issue window > CAM array holding one instr per entry. 
     Delay = Ttagdrive + Ttagmatch + TmatchOR > quadratic all.

Selection logic
     Tselc = c0 + c1 x log4(WINSIZE)

Data Bypass Logic
     S pipestages > (2 x IW^2 x S) bypass paths (2 inp func units)
     datapath and control
     0.5 x R x C x L^2 (length of wire)
Even if alternative layouts are used : quadratic delay with bypasses remain
reg file/bypass within cluster single cycle, across clusters multi.
     
>> biggest problems > window logic and bypasses

>> Atomic operations
     wakeup and select
     data bypassing

New Microarch defn
     dependence based microarchitecture
          issue window > number of FIFOs. 
          inorder issue of dependent instructions
          bypass is propogated to the head of the instr queue
          
     FIFO entry : 
          all operands of I are ready : new empty FIFO
          1 outstanding operand : FIFO generating that thing just behind the Isource else new FIFO
          two outstanding : try both operands.

     clustering based dependent 
          group issue and exec units into clusters (these cna be fixed/windows)
          PEW : parallel execution windows     

Conclusions : 
     parameters that affect > issue width and issue window size.
     data bypass logic
     may affect in future > register files and caches