eMIPS, a Dynamically Extensible Processor

Overview

The eMIPS architecture can realize the performance benefits of application-specific hardware optimizations in a general-purpose, multi-user system environment using dynamically extensible processor architecture. It allows multiple secure Extensions to load dynamically and to plug into the stages of a pipelined data path, thereby extending the core instruction set of the microprocessor. Extensions can also be used to realize on-chip peripherals and if area permits even multiple cores. The new functionality can be exploited by patching the binaries of the existing applications, without requiring any changes to the compilers.