Performance of CPU: CPI, Interrupts & Shadow Registers

In summary, the micro-instruction sequencing and execution machine has a clock cycle time of 10 ns and a base CPI of 5. The possibility of interrupts and exceptions may occur during an instruction, requiring copies of the values of the registers at the beginning of the instruction. The effective CPI, accounting for interrupts, is 5.1 cycles. The performance loss from interrupts is 0.1 cycles per instruction. It is realistic to assume that it takes 10 cycles to restore shadowed registers.
  • #1
ciakamel
3
0
A micro-instruction sequencing and execution machine has a clock cycle
time of 10 ns and a base Cycle Per Instruction (CPI) of 5. The possibility
of interrupts and (or) exceptions may happen in the middle of an
instruction that must have copies of the values of the registers at the
beginning of the instruction. These registers are usually called shadow
registers. Assume that the average instruction has two register operands
that must be restored on an interrupt. The interrupt rate is 100 interrupts
per second, and the interrupt cost is 30 cycles plus the time to restore the
shadowed registers, each of which takes 10 cycles. Analyze the
followings:
i) What is the effective CPI after accounting for interrupts?

ii) What is the performance loss from interrupts?

iii) Is 10 cycles to restore shadowed registers realistic?Anyone can help me with this question?
 
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  • #2
Welcome to Physics Forums!

Since you're new here, you probably haven't noticed the rules (see the Rules item in the menu across the top of the screen). Before we can help you, you need to have made an effort at solving your problem.
 
  • #3
Mark44 said:
Welcome to Physics Forums!

Since you're new here, you probably haven't noticed the rules (see the Rules item in the menu across the top of the screen). Before we can help you, you need to have made an effort at solving your problem.

Ok,thank you, i will show my attempts.
 
  • #4
Same problem...can any1 help me 2 solve it?
 
  • #5
Bro can u help me too
 
  • #6
See what I said in post #2.

BTW, welcome to Physics Forums!
 
  • #7
Each instruction takes 5 cycles = 50 nsec, right?

Interrupt cost = 30 cycles + 20 cycles = 50 cycles [itex]\neq[/itex] 500 nsec.

Interrupts happen every 1/100 of a second, or every 10,000,000 nsec, meaning that an instruction won't get hit with more than one interrupt. This also gives you some idea of how often an instruction will get hit with an interrupt, which I think you need to take into account in the effective CPI.
 
  • #8
Mark44 said:
Each instruction takes 5 cycles = 50 nsec, right?

Interrupt cost = 30 cycles + 20 cycles = 50 cycles [itex]\neq[/itex] 500 nsec.

Interrupts happen every 1/100 of a second, or every 10,000,000 nsec, meaning that an instruction won't get hit with more than one interrupt. This also gives you some idea of how often an instruction will get hit with an interrupt, which I think you need to take into account in the effective CPI.

got it, thanks for the help!
 

1. What is the CPI of a CPU and how does it affect performance?

The CPI (cycles per instruction) of a CPU refers to the average number of clock cycles it takes to execute one instruction. A lower CPI means that the CPU can execute instructions faster, leading to better performance. CPI is affected by factors such as the design of the CPU, the complexity of instructions, and the presence of data dependencies.

2. How do interrupts impact the performance of a CPU?

Interrupts are signals sent to the CPU by external devices to request attention. When an interrupt occurs, the CPU must stop its current task and handle the interrupt before returning to the original task. This can cause a delay in execution and affect the overall performance of the CPU. However, interrupts are necessary for the CPU to efficiently handle multiple tasks and communicate with external devices.

3. What are shadow registers and how do they improve CPU performance?

Shadow registers are additional sets of registers that are used to store the current state of the CPU's primary registers during an interrupt. This allows the CPU to quickly switch between tasks without having to save and restore the state of its primary registers. This can significantly improve performance by reducing the time it takes to handle interrupts.

4. How does the clock speed of a CPU impact its performance?

The clock speed of a CPU refers to the number of cycles it can perform in a given amount of time. Generally, a higher clock speed means that the CPU can execute instructions faster, leading to better performance. However, other factors such as the CPI and the number of cores also play a role in overall performance.

5. Can the performance of a CPU be improved by overclocking?

Overclocking is the process of increasing the clock speed of a CPU beyond its recommended limit. While this may lead to a slight improvement in performance, it can also cause the CPU to run hotter and potentially reduce its lifespan. Overclocking may also introduce instability and cause errors in the system. Therefore, it is not recommended as a reliable method for improving CPU performance.

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