5.6 - Superscalar Processors
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Practice Questions
Test your understanding with targeted questions
What does a superscalar processor do?
💡 Hint: Think about how many tasks it can handle at once.
Define issue width.
💡 Hint: Consider what happens in a single tick of a clock.
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Interactive Quizzes
Quick quizzes to reinforce your learning
What is a characteristic of superscalar processors?
💡 Hint: Think about how they differ from scalar processors.
True or False: Superscalar processors can execute multiple instructions simultaneously.
💡 Hint: Recall the definition of superscalar processors.
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Challenge Problems
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Assuming a superscalar processor with an issue width of 4, calculate how many instructions could theoretically be executed in a 10-cycle window if all conditions for parallel execution are met.
💡 Hint: Multiply the issue width by the number of cycles.
Design a simple scheduling algorithm for a theoretical superscalar processor that enhances utilization. Explain how you would handle instruction dependencies.
💡 Hint: Consider algorithms like FIFO or priority scheduling and adapt them for instruction dependencies.
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