Method and apparatus for generating the next microaddress for a micromachine

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: providing a secondary base microaddress in a fifth field of a current microinstruction; providing a first secondary microaddress qualifier in a sixth field of the current microinstruction; providing a second secondary microaddress qualifier in a seventh field of the current microinstruction; selecting a secondary one of a plurality of current conditions in response to the condition selector value in said fourth field; selecting one of the first and second secondary microaddress qualifiers in response to said selected one of said primary current condition; combining the selected secondary microaddress qualifier and the secondary base microaddress to form a composite secondary microaddress comprising said secondary base microaddress and said selected secondary microaddress qualifier; and selecting either the composite primary microaddress or the composite secondary microaddress in response to said selected one of said secondary current condition; wherein the selected second composite microaddress comprises the next microaddress of the micromachine.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 further comprising: providing a control condition selector value in an eighth field of the current microinstruction; and selectively swapping the selected primary and secondary current conditions in response to the control condition selector value in said eighth field.

Claim 5

Apparatus for generating the next microaddress of a micromachine comprising: first means for latching a current microinstruction comprising: a primary base microaddress in a first field; a first primary microaddress qualifier in a second field; a second primary microaddress qualifier in a third field; a condition selector value in a fourth field; second means for selecting a primary one of a plurality of current conditions in response to the condition selector value in said fourth field; third means for selecting one of the first and second primary microaddress qualifiers in response to said selected one of said primary current conditions; and fourth means for combining the selected primary microaddress qualifier and the primary base microaddress to form a composite primary microaddress comprising said primary base microaddress and said selected primary microaddress qualifier; wherein the composite primary microaddress comprises the next microaddress of the micromachine.

Claim 6

Apparatus for generating the next microaddress of a micromachine comprising: first means for latching a current microinstruction comprising: a primary base microaddress in a first field; a first primary microaddress qualifier in a second field; a second primary microaddress qualifier in a third field; a condition selector value in a fourth field; second means for selecting a primary one of a plurality of current conditions in response to the condition selector value in said fourth field; third means for selecting one of the first and second primary microaddress qualifiers in response to said selected one of said primary current conditions; and fourth means for combining the selected primary microaddress qualifier and the primary base microaddress to form a composite primary microaddress comprising said primary base microaddress and said selected primary microaddress qualifier; wherein the composite primary microaddress comprises the next microaddress of the micromachine.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4 wherein: the current microinstruction further comprises: a secondary base microaddress in a fifth field; a first secondary microaddress qualifier in a sixth field; a second secondary microaddress qualifier in a seventh field; and the apparatus further comprises: fifth means for selecting a secondary one of a plurality of current conditions in response to the condition selector value in said fourth field; sixth means for selecting one of the first and second secondary microaddress qualifiers in response to the selected primary condition; seventh means for combining the selected secondary microaddress qualifier and the secondary base microaddress to form a composite secondary microaddress comprising said secondary base microaddress and said selected secondary microaddress qualifier; and eighth means for selecting either the composite primary microaddress or the composite secondary microaddress in response to said selected one of said secondary current condition; wherein the selected second composite microaddress comprises the next microaddress of the micromachine.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein: the microinstruction further comprises: a control condition selector value in an eighth field; and the apparatus further comprises: ninth means for selectively swapping the selected primary and secondary current conditions in response to the control condition selector value in said eighth field.