Title :
A third-generation SPARC V9 64-b microprocessor
Author :
Heald, Raymond ; Aingaran, Kathirgamar ; Amir, Chaim ; Ang, Michael ; Boland, Michael ; Dixit, Pankaj ; Gouldsberry, Gary ; Greenley, Dale ; Grinberg, Joel ; Hart, Jason ; Horel, Tim ; Hsu, Wen-Jay ; Kaku, James ; Kim, Chin ; Kim, Song ; Klass, Fabian ; K
Author_Institution :
Sun Microsystems, Palo Alto, CA, USA
Abstract :
This quad-issue processor achieves 1-GHz operation through improved dynamic circuit techniques in critical paths and a more extensive on-chip memory system which scales in both bandwidth and latency. Critical logic paths use domino, delayed clocked domino, and logic embedded in dynamic flip-flops for minimum delay. A 64-KB sum-addressed memory data cache combines the address offset add with the cache decode, allowing the average memory latency to scale by more than the clock ratio. Memory bandwidth is improved by using wave pipelined SRAM designs for on-chip caches and a write cache for store traffic. Memory power is controlled without increased latency by use of delayed-reset logic decoders. The chip operates at 1000 MHz and dissipates less than 80 W from a 1.6-V supply. It contains 23 million transistors (12 million in RAM cells) on a 244 mm/sup 2/ die.
Keywords :
CMOS digital integrated circuits; critical path analysis; high-speed integrated circuits; integrated circuit design; logic design; microprocessor chips; parallel architectures; pipeline processing; 0.15 mum; 1 GHz; 1.6 V; 64 bit; CMOS design; address offset add; cache decode; critical logic paths; critical paths; delayed clocked domino logic; delayed-reset logic decoders; domino logic; dynamic circuit techniques; dynamic flip-flops; embedded logic; memory bandwidth; memory latency; memory power control; on-chip memory system; power dissipation; quad-issue processor; sum-addressed memory data cache; third-generation SPARC V9 64-b microprocessor; wave pipelined SRAM designs; write cache; Bandwidth; Circuits; Clocks; Decoding; Delay; Flip-flops; Logic; Microprocessors; Random access memory; System-on-a-chip;
Journal_Title :
Solid-State Circuits, IEEE Journal of