Unified datapath: an innovative approach to the design of a low-cost, low-power, high-performance microprocessor

摘要

Unifying the integer and floating-point datapath of the R4200 MIPS microprocessor allows for the sharing of some of the major hardware resources within the integer and floating-point execution units, and simplifies a large portion of the peripheral circuitry. The unified datapath results in a more efficient use of hardware with reduced average power dissipation, area and development time, without compromising the major performance advantages of RISC processors.