False loops through resource sharing

Abstract

This paper describes the effects of false loops caused by resource sharing. When a separate controller and data path are constructed, two types of false loops can be distinguished: the ones that go through the controller and the ones that loop around in the data path. The paper describes a model to detect both types of loops during the resource sharing phase. Based on this model an algorithm is described which prevents false loops in the combinatorial network to be constructed, while maintaining as much freedom as possible for the resource sharing. Experiments show that the loop-free data-paths do not need more functional units than the ones that contain false loops.