Pipelining
Understanding instruction pipelining and hazards in computer architecture
Introduction
Pipelining is a technique used in computer architecture to improve instruction throughput by overlapping the execution of multiple instructions.
Pipeline Stages
Typical pipeline stages in a RISC processor:
- Instruction Fetch (IF)
- Instruction Decode (ID)
- Execute (EX)
- Memory Access (MEM)
- Write Back (WB)
Pipeline Hazards
Types of pipeline hazards:
- Data Hazards
- RAW (Read After Write)
- WAR (Write After Read)
- WAW (Write After Write)
- Control Hazards
- Branch Prediction
- Branch Target Buffer
- Structural Hazards
- Resource Conflicts
- Memory Access Conflicts
Pipeline Performance
Key performance metrics:
- Pipeline Throughput
- Pipeline Latency
- Pipeline Efficiency
- Speedup Factor
Important Concepts
Key aspects of pipelining:
- Pipeline depth and width
- Hazard detection and resolution
- Forwarding and bypassing
- Branch prediction techniques
- Pipeline scheduling