Description
This class provides, within a computer or digitaldata processing system, for subject matter representedby a particular arrangement that includes at least one of the followingmeans: A) components of an individual completeprocessor, which may be formed on a single integrated circuit (IC); B) componentsof a complete digital data processing system; C) pluralprocessors; or D) plural digital data processingsystems; wherein the particular arrangement further includesat least one of the following functions:
1) processing instruction data for specific processor architectures;
2) accessing or retrieving instruction data of afixed or variable length from a buffer or other memory and shiftingthe instruction data to align it with a physical boundary of a bufferor other memory;
3) locating and retrieving instruction data for processing;
4) determining via internal hardware, firmwareor software operations the meaning of operation codes, control bits, oroperands of instruction data;
5) dispatching instruction data for execution (e.g., designatinga register after resolving data conflicts);
6) dynamically testing instruction data and operandsto assess conflicts related to data or hardware-resource availability (e.g., identifyingdata dependencies or utilization conflicts, attemptingto resolve such dependencies or conflicts, or both); and
7) dynamically controlling the execution, processing, or sequencingof instruction data within a processor.