Chapter 17 Micro-Programmed Control

1. Instuction & Microinstruction
   • Microinstructions: a set of micro-operations
   • Machine instruction: one microprogram = a set of microinstructions
2. Control logic is specified by a microprogram.
   • Microprogram: also called firmware
   • • A sequence of instructions in a microprogramming language
     • • A language specifying micro-operations
       • A clause is a microinstruction
     • Very simple instructions that specify micro-operations
3. Micro-instruction types
   • Vertical micro-instruction: seldom used
   • • Each micro-instruction specifies a single(or a few) micro-operation to be performed
     • Width is narrow
     • n control signals encoded into log2 n bits
     • Limited ability to express parallelism
   • Horizontal micro-instruction
   • • Each micro-instruction specifies many different micro-operaions to be performed in parallel
     • Wide memory word
     • High degree of parallel operations possible
     • Little encoding of control information
4. Control unit function: Should happen in one clock pulse
   • Sequence logic unit issues read command
   • Word specified in control address register is read into control buffer register
   • Control buffer register contents generates control signals and next address information
   • Sequence logic loads new address into control buffer register based on next address information from control buffer register and ALU flags
5. Pros & Cons
   • Pros:
   • • Simplifies design of control unit
     • • Cheaper
       • Less error-prone
   • Cons:
   • • Slower than hardwired control
6. Microinstruction designing
   • Microinstruction sequencing
   • • Size of microinstructions
     • Address generation time
     • How to obtain the next microinstruction
     • • Determined by instruction register
       • Next sequential address
       • Branches
   • Microinstruction execution
   • • Fetch: determined by generation of microinstruction address
     • Execute ( == Read): to generate control signals