Dynamic resource allocation among master processors that require service from a coprocessor

摘要

An apparatus and a method dynamically reassign resources in a coprocessor among master processors that require service from the coprocessor. The method includes each processor, in each processor cycle, keeping track of a number of resource units required for executing operations sent to the coprocessor in that processor cycle and receiving from the coprocessor a number of resource units released during the processor cycle. When the resources need to be reassigned, the coprocessor asserts a signal to the resource yielding processor to cause it to reduce its expectation of resources to zero and ceasing sending service requests to the coprocessor. The coprocessor then moves resources from the yielding processor to the resource receiving processor. Resources are then released to both processors over time to their respective adjusted resource allocations. Such resources may be the number of operations that is allowed to be executing in the coprocessor simulataneously. It may also be the number of physical registers that the processor can use in its operations sent to the coprocessor.