USING A COMPUTER TO DESIGN COMPUTER INSTRUCTION SETS.
Abstract
The purpose of the research described in this thesis is to develop a method for using a computer to design computer instruction sets and to experiment with instruction set design strategies. One result is GIS (Generalized Instruction Set) -- a model of the concept instruction set. The primary result -- ISDS (Instruction Set Design System) -- is a hierarchy of IPL-V subroutines that perform the bookkeeping, specification, and analysis required to construct a GIS representation of an instruction set in the memory of a computer. Also described is a heuristic program, written in ISDS, that determines its own strategy for designing an optimal instruction set for a given programming environment. Evaluation is provided by an instruction mix and a scoring polynomial whose coefficients specify the relative cost and value of addressing features. The program can design instruction sets with almost any addressing feature used in existing computers, but the instruction sets are restricted primarily to a single instruction format. Twelve examples are presented to show how various instruction sets can be obtained by altering the input, altering evaluation parameters, and extending the system. The examples include design strategies for the instruction formats of the IAS computer, Whirlwind I, and the Univac 1108. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 20, 1968
- Accession Number
- AD0671939
Entities
People
- Frederick Marion Haney
Organizations
- Carnegie Mellon University