Architecture and Implementation of a Reduced EPIC Processor

摘要

This paper proposes a Reduced Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing Processor (REPICP) which is an independently designed, 64-bit, general-purpose microprocessor. The REPICP based on EPIC architecture overcomes the disadvantages of hardware-based superscalar and software-based Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) and utilizes the cooperation of compiler and hardware to enhance Instruction-Level Parallelism (ILP). In REPICP, we propose the Optimized Lock-Step execution Model (OLSM) and instruction control pipeline method. We also propose reduced innovative methods to optimize the design. The REPICP is fabricated in Artisan 0.13μm Nominal 1P8M process with 57M transistors. The die size of the REPICP is 100 mm~2 (10 × 10), and consumes only 12 W power when running at 300 MHz.