Apple inc. (20240329990). Processing of Synchronization Barrier Instructions simplified abstract

Processing of Synchronization Barrier Instructions

Organization Name

apple inc.

Inventor(s)

Deepankar Duggal of Sunnyvale CA (US)

Kulin N Kothari of Cupertino CA (US)

Mridul Agarwal of Saratoga CA (US)

Chang Xu of Cupertino CA (US)

Yanran Yang of Sunnyvale CA (US)

Richard F Russo of Saratoga CA (US)

Yuan C Chou of Lost Gatos CA (US)

Douglas C Holman of San Francisco CA (US)

Processing of Synchronization Barrier Instructions - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240329990 titled 'Processing of Synchronization Barrier Instructions

Simplified Explanation: The patent application describes a system with one or more processors that can execute an instruction synchronization barrier (ISB) instruction to enforce ordering constraints on instructions. The processor can determine if contexts needed for older instructions are consumed, and if so, initiate fetching of a younger instruction without waiting for the older ones to retire.

• Key Features and Innovation:

   - System with processors executing ISB instructions for ordering constraints.
   - Context determination for older instructions to optimize instruction fetching.
   - Non-blocking fetching of younger instructions for improved performance.

• Potential Applications:

   - High-performance computing systems.
   - Real-time processing applications.
   - Embedded systems requiring efficient instruction execution.

• Problems Solved:

   - Ensuring proper instruction ordering in complex systems.
   - Optimizing processor performance by managing instruction dependencies.

• Benefits:

   - Improved system efficiency.
   - Enhanced processor performance.
   - Reduced latency in instruction execution.

• Commercial Applications:

   - Data centers for high-speed processing.
   - Mobile devices for faster response times.
   - Industrial automation for real-time control.

• Prior Art:

   - Researchers in the field of processor architecture and instruction execution.
   - Patents related to instruction synchronization and processor optimization.

• Frequently Updated Research:

   - Ongoing studies on processor design and optimization.
   - Research on instruction dependency management in multi-core systems.

Questions about Instruction Synchronization Barrier (ISB) Technology:

1. What are the primary benefits of using ISB instructions in processor systems?

   - ISB instructions help enforce ordering constraints on instructions, improving system efficiency and performance.

2. How does the processor determine when to fetch younger instructions without waiting for older ones to retire?

   - The processor checks if contexts required for older instructions are consumed, signaling the need to fetch younger instructions for optimized execution.

Original Abstract Submitted

a system, e.g., a system on a chip (soc), may include one or more processors. a processor may execute an instruction synchronization barrier (isb) instruction to enforce an ordering constraint on instructions. to execute the isb instruction, the processor may determine whether contexts of the processor required for execution of instructions older than the isb instruction are consumed for the older instructions. responsive to determining that the contexts are consumed for the older instructions, the processor may initiate fetching of an instruction younger than the isb instruction, without waiting for the older instructions to retire.