EP0301707A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Apparatus and method for providing an extended processing environment on nonmicrocoded data processing system
Assignee: Digital Equipment Corp
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Filing: 1988-06-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-06-30
Abstract
Abstract In a data processing system employing microcode techniques, complex sequences of microinstructions can be initiated by application of a single macroinstruction. These complex sequences of microinstructions are typically noninterruptible and therefore the execution of a macroinstruction is atomic (i.e., executed as a single entity). Data processing systems that do not employ microcode typically have simpler macroinstruction sets that do not provide for a similar atomicity for complex instruction sequences. In order to obtain the same atomicity of instruction execution and to provide a nonmicrocoded data processing system with the capability to execute complex instruction sequences as a atomic operation, the nonmicrocoded data processing system is provided with a third mode, in addition to the (nonprivileged) user mode and the (privileged) kernel mode, of operation that permits the execution of instruction sequences with interrupting events disabled and certain functions and apparatus enabled to facilitate instruction sequence execution.
Inventors
- 👤 David N. Cutler
- 👤 David A. Orbits
- 👤 Dileep Bhandarkar
- 👤 Wayne Cardoza
- 👤 Richard T. Witek
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 05:18
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/46; G06F9/48; G06F9/4806; G06F9/4812; G06F15/00; G06F15/76; G06F15/80; G06F15/8053; G06F15/8061; G06F15/8069; G06F9/30; G06F9/3017; G06F9/30174; G06F9/30181; G06F9/30189; G06F9/44; G06F9/455; G06F9/45533; G06F9/4843
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
58 words
A data processing system for executing sequences of instructions, comprising: a first mode of operation for executing nonprivileged instructions; a second mode of operation for executing privileged and nonprivileged instructions; a third mode of operation for executing preestablished noninterruptible sequences of instructions in response to an associated selected instructions, said noninterruptible sequences of instructions excluding said selected instructions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
58 words
A data processing system for executing sequences of instructions, comprising: a first mode of operation for executing nonprivileged instructions; a second mode of operation for executing privileged and nonprivileged instructions; a third mode of operation for executing preestablished noninterruptible sequences of instructions in response to an associated selected instructions, said noninterruptible sequences of instructions excluding said selected instructions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The data processing system of Claim 1 wherein during said third mode, interrupts are disabled.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The data processing system of Claim 1 wherein instruction sequences executing in said third mode of operation are stored in a reserved portion of a main memory unit associated with said third mode.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The data processing system of Claim 1 wherein said data processing system utilizes virtual addressing techniques, said virtual addressing procedures being disabled for instruction stream references during operation by said data processing system in said third mode.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The data processing system of Claim 1 wherein procedures responsive to interrupting events are executed in said third mode of operation.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The data processing system of Claim 1 wherein said third mode of operation can be entered from said first mode of operation and from said second mode of operation.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
58 words
The data processing system of Claim 6 wherein said third mode of operation can be entered as a result of an execution of one of a plurality of preselected instructions in said first mode of operation and as a result of an execution of one of a plurality of predetermined instructions executing in said second mode of operation.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
The data processing system of Claim 1 wherein said data processing system has a plurality of predetermined instructions executable only in said third mode of operation.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The data processing system of Claim 1 wherein said data processing system has a plurality of registers accessible only when said data processing system is in said third mode of operation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
The data processing system of Claim 1 wherein said data processing system includes apparatus for responding to interrupt conditions, said interrupt responsive apparatus being disabled when said data processing system is in said third mode.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
50 words
The data processing system of Claim 1 wherein said data processing system can execute a plurality of overlapping instructions in said first and said second mode, said data processing system completing execution of all currently executing instructions in said first and said second mode prior to entering said third mode.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
77 words
The method of executing programs in a data processing systems having a first mode of operation for executing nonprivileged instructions and having a second mode of operation for executing privileged and nonprivileged instructions, comprising the steps of: providing said data processing systems with a third mode of operation; and executing preselected sequences of instructions implementing associated privileged and nonprivileged instructions in said third mode of operation, said preselected sequences of instructions being executed in a noninterruptible manner.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
77 words
The method of executing programs in a data processing systems having a first mode of operation for executing nonprivileged instructions and having a second mode of operation for executing privileged and nonprivileged instructions, comprising the steps of: providing said data processing systems with a third mode of operation; and executing preselected sequences of instructions implementing associated privileged and nonprivileged instructions in said third mode of operation, said preselected sequences of instructions being executed in a noninterruptible manner.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of executing software programs of Claim 12 wherein said executing step includes storing said preselected sequences of instructions in a reserved portion of a main memory unit of said data processing system.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of executing software programs of Claim 12 further comprising the step of disabling interrupt apparatus when executing said preselected instruction sequences in said third mode of operation.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of executing software programs of Claim 12 further including the step of disabling a virtual addressing mechanism of said data processing system during operation in said third mode.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of executing software programs of Claim 12 further comprising the step of executing exception procedures in said third mode of operation.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of executing software programs of Claim 12 further comprising the step of accessing predefined registers only in said third mode of operation.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of executing software programs of Claim 12 further comprising the step of completing all currently executing instructions prior to executing instructions in said third mode.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
67 words
A data processing system for executing instructions comprising: a first mode of operation for executing nonprivileged instructions; a second mode of operation for executing privileged and nonprivileged instructions; and a third mode of operation for execution of noninterruptible sequences of said privileged and nonprivileged instructions in response to selected instructions being executed in said first and second mode, said noninterruptible sequences of instructions excluding said selected instructions.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
67 words
A data processing system for executing instructions comprising: a first mode of operation for executing nonprivileged instructions; a second mode of operation for executing privileged and nonprivileged instructions; and a third mode of operation for execution of noninterruptible sequences of said privileged and nonprivileged instructions in response to selected instructions being executed in said first and second mode, said noninterruptible sequences of instructions excluding said selected instructions.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
The data processing system of Claim 19 wherein said noninterruptible sequences of instructions include special instructions in addition to said privileged and nonprivileged instructions.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
28 words
The data processing system of Claim 19 wherein said execution of said noninterruptible sequences of instructions can be a response to an exception and to and interrupt event.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
27 words
The data processing system of Claim 19 further comprising apparatus responsive to exception and interrupt events, said responsive apparatus being disabled during said noninterruptible instruction sequence execution.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
44 words
The data processing system of Claim 19 wherein said data processing system can execute overlapping instructions in said first and said second mode, wherein all currently executing instructions are completed and no further instructions issued upon identification of a one of said selected instructions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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