Applying Time Warp to CPU design

This paper exemplifies the similarities in Time Warp and computer architecture concepts and terminology, and the continued trend for convergence of ideas in these two areas. Time Warp can provide a means to describe the complex mechanisms being used to allow the instruction execution window to be enlarged. Furthermore it can extend the current mechanisms, which do not scale, in a scalable manner. The issues involved in implementing Time Warp in a CPU design are also examined, and illustrated with reference to the Wisconsin Multiscalar machine and the Waikato WarpEngine. Finally the potential performance gains of such a system are briefly discussed.