Claims
- 1. A method for selectively isolating a register window in a processing unit for executing procedures in a reduced instruction set computer, said processing unit comprising a plurality of registers arranged in register groups, each of said register groups comprising a number of input registers, a number of output registers, and a number of local registers, said register groups physically arranged such that the input registers of each group are the same registers as the output registers of the next adjacent register group thereby forming a ring of register groups, said method comprising the steps of:
- storing in a status register, for each register group, an indication of whether that particular register group is in use;
- selectively isolating a first register group from the remaining register groups by predesignating in said status register that a second register group on a first side of said first register group is in use, and predesignating in said status register that a third register group on a second side of said first register group is in use;
- separately utilizing said first register group for processing.
- 2. The method for selectively isolating a register window in a processing unit as provided in claim 1, wherein said step of separately utilizing said first register group for processing includes: utilizing the input and the local registers of said second register group for handling trap routines.
- 3. The method for selectively isolating a register window in a processing unit as provided in claim 2, wherein said step of separately utilizing said first register group for processing further includes: utilizing the output and the local registers of said third register group for handling trap routines.
- 4. A method for selectively isolating a contiguous block of register windows groups in a processing unit for executing procedures in a reduced instruction set computer, said processing unit comprising a plurality of registers arranged in register groups, each of said register groups comprising a number of input registers, a number of output registers, and a number of local registers, said register groups physically arranged such that the input registers of each group are the same registers as the output registers of the next adjacent register group thereby forming a ring of register groups, said method comprising the steps of:
- storing in a status register, for each register group, an indication of whether that particular register group is in use;
- selectively isolating a contiguous block of register groups from the remaining register groups by predesignating in said status register that a first register group on a first side of said contiguous block is in use, and predesignating in said status register that a second register group on a second side of said contiguous block is in use;
- separately utilizing said contiguous block of register groups for processing.
- 5. The method for selectively isolating a contiguous block of register groups as provided in claim 4, wherein said step of separately utilizing said contiguous block of a plurality of register windows for processing includes: utilizing the input and the local registers of said first register group for handling trap routines.
- 6. The method for selectively isolating a contiguous block of register groups as provided in claim 5, wherein said step of separately utilizing said contiguous block of register groups for processing further includes: utilizing the output and the local registers of said second register group for handling trap routines.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/225,343, filed on Jul. 28, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,263.
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Nov 1988 |
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4777588 |
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
225343 |
Jul 1988 |
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