What is pipelining in computer architecture

By Jan 13, 2023 Introduction Pipelining in computer architecture is a technique that enables processors to execute multiple instructions simultaneously. It works by breaking down each instruction into separate stages, allowing each stage to be completed in parallel. By utilizing this method, processors are able to execute more instructions in a given amount of time, resulting in improved performance. The goal of this article is to provide a thorough overview of pipelining in computer architecture, including its definition, types, benefits, and impact on performance. Explaining Pipelining in Computer Architecture: A Layman’s Guide Before exploring the details of pipelining in computer architecture, it is important to understand the basics. To start, let’s look at what pipelining is and how it works. What is pipelining? Pipelining is a process in which instructions are broken down into discrete stages, allowing them to be processed in parallel. Each stage is responsible for completing a specific task, such as fetching data or executing an instruction. As each stage is completed, the results are passed on to the next stage, allowing multiple instructions to be processed at the same time. How it works In order to understand how pipelining works, it is helpful to think of it as a conveyor belt. Instructions enter the pipeline at one end and move through each stage until they exit the other end. As each instruction moves through the pipeline, it is processed by the stages in ord...

To improve the performance of a CPU we have two options: 1) Improve the hardware by introducing faster circuits. 2) Arrange the hardware such that more than one operation can be performed at the same time. Since there is a limit on the speed of hardware and the cost of faster circuits is quite high, we have to adopt the 2 nd option. Pipelining is a process of arrangement of hardware elements of the CPU such that its overall performance is increased. Simultaneous execution of more than one instruction takes place in a pipelined processor. Let us see a real-life example that works on the concept of pipelined operation. Consider a water bottle packaging plant. Let there be 3 stages that a bottle should pass through, Inserting the bottle( I), Filling water in the bottle( F), and Sealing the bottle( S). Let us consider these stages as stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3 respectively. Let each stage take 1 minute to complete its operation. Now, in a non-pipelined operation, a bottle is first inserted in the plant, after 1 minute it is moved to stage 2 where water is filled. Now, in stage 1 nothing is happening. Similarly, when the bottle moves to stage 3, both stage 1 and stage 2 are idle. But in pipelined operation, when the bottle is in stage 2, another bottle can be loaded at stage 1. Similarly, when the bottle is in stage 3, there can be one bottle each in stage 1 and stage 2. So, after each minute, we get a new bottle at the end of stage 3. Hence, the average time taken to manufa...

A data pipeline is a method in which raw data is ingested from various data sources and then ported to data store, like a data lake or data warehouse, for analysis. Before data flows into a data repository, it usually undergoes some data processing. This is inclusive of data transformations, such as filtering, masking, and aggregations, which ensure appropriate data integration and standardization. This is particularly important when the destination for the dataset is a relational database. This type of data repository has a defined schema which requires alignment—i.e. matching data columns and types—to update existing data with new data. As the name suggests, data pipelines act as the “piping” for data science projects or business intelligence dashboards. Data can be sourced through a wide variety of places—APIs, SQL and The development of batch processing was critical step in building data infrastructures that were reliable and scalable. In 2004, MapReduce, a batch processing algorithm, was patented and then subsequently integrated in open-source systems, like Hadoop, CouchDB, and MongoDB. As the name implies, batch processing loads “batches” of data into a repository during set time intervals, which are typically scheduled during off-peak business hours. This way, other workloads aren’t impacted as batch processing jobs tend to work with large volumes of data, which can tax the overall system. Batch processing is usually the optimal data pipeline when there isn’t an imm...

Instr. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 IF ID EX MEM WB 2 IF ID EX MEM WB 3 IF ID EX MEM WB 4 IF ID EX MEM 5 IF ID EX (IF = Instruction Fetch, ID = Instruction Decode, EX = Execute, MEM = Memory access, WB = Register write back). In the fourth clock cycle (the green column), the earliest instruction is in MEM stage, and the latest instruction has not yet entered the pipeline. In instruction pipelining is a technique for implementing Concept and motivation [ ] In a pipelined computer, instructions flow through the This arrangement lets the CPU complete an instruction on each clock cycle. It is common for even-numbered stages to operate on one edge of the square-wave clock, while odd-numbered stages operate on the other edge. This allows more A pipelined model of computer is often the most economical, when cost is measured as logic gates per instruction per second. At each instant, an instruction is in only one pipeline stage, and on average, a pipeline stage is less costly than a multicycle computer. Also, when made well, most of the pipelined computer's logic is in use most of the time. In contrast, out of order computers usually have large amounts of idle logic at any given instant. Similar calculations usually show that a pipelined computer uses less energy per instruction. However, a pipelined computer is usually more complex and more costly than a comparable multicycle computer. It typically has more logic gates, registers and a more complex control unit. In a like way, it might us...

10 Pipelining – MIPS Implementation Dr A. P. Shanthi The objectives of this module are to discuss the basics of pipelining and discuss the implementation of the MIPS pipeline. In the previous module, we discussed the drawbacks of a single cycle implementation. We observed that the longest delay determines the clock period and it is not feasible to vary period for different instructions. This violates the design principle of making the common case fast. One way of overcoming this problem is to go in for a pipelined implementation. We shall now discuss the basics of pipelining. Pipelining is a particularly effective way of organizing parallel activity in a computer system. The basic idea is very simple. It is frequently encountered in manufacturing plants, where pipelining is commonly known as an assembly line operation. By laying the production process out in an assembly line, products at various stages can be worked on simultaneously. You must have noticed that in an automobile assembly line, you will find that one car’s chassis will be fitted when some other car’s door is getting fixed and some other car’s body is getting painted. All these are independent activities, taking place in parallel. This process is also referred to as pipelining, because, as in a pipeline, new inputs are accepted at one end and previously accepted inputs appear as outputs at the other end. As yet another real world example, Consider the case of doing a laundry. Assume that Ann, Brian, Cathy and...

Pipelining is the process of accumulating instruction from the processor through a pipeline. It allows storing and executing instructions in an orderly process. It is also known as pipeline processing. Before moving forward with pipelining, check these topics out to understand the concept better : • • • Pipelining is a technique where multiple instructions are overlapped during execution. Pipeline is divided into stages and these stages are connected with one another to form a pipe like structure. Instructions enter from one end and exit from another end. Pipelining increases the overall instruction throughput. In pipeline system, each segment consists of an input register followed by a combinational circuit. The register is used to hold data and combinational circuit performs operations on it. The output of combinational circuit is applied to the input register of the next segment. Pipeline system is like the modern day assembly line setup in factories. For example in a car manufacturing industry, huge assembly lines are setup and at each point, there are robotic arms to perform a certain task, and then the car moves on ahead to the next arm. Types of Pipeline It is divided into 2 categories: • Arithmetic Pipeline • Instruction Pipeline Arithmetic Pipeline Arithmetic pipelines are usually found in most of the computers. They are used for floating point operations, multiplication of fixed point numbers etc. For example: The input to the Floating Point Adder pipeline is: X ...

Data-level parallelism is an approach to computer processing that aims to increase data throughput by operating on multiple elements of data simultaneously. There are many motivations for data-level parallelism, including: • Researching faster computer systems • Multimedia applications • Big data applications Vector processing is an SIMD architecture that operates on vectors of data to achieve higher data throughput. Vector processors benefit from being able to store and process multiple elements of data. This behavior results in: Less instruction overhead With one instruction for multiple elements of data, there will be fewer instructions to fetch and decode compared to a scalar processor working on the same amount of data. Overlapping memory accesses Accessing large chunks of memory to be processed can create its own pipeline, where one set of data is processed while the next set is being retrieved from memory. Continued pipelining While pipelining is a form of instruction-level parallelism it can still be used by vector processors. Vector processor designs support and utilize the classic instruction cycle: Fetch, Decode, Execute, Memory Access, and Write-Back. A vector processor’s architecture includes elements that allow for the processing of vectors of data with a single instruction. These include: Vector registers These are electronic storage banks with longer bit lengths to hold multiple elements of data at a time. Internal looping A circuit design that ensures the ...

I follow a course on CPU architectures and I'm making exercises at the moment. Now I encountered the word "depth of a pipeline" in one of the exercises, but I don't know what's meant by the depth of a pipeline. Is it the number of stages of the pipeline or something else? I can't find it anywhere in the syllabus. I think that depth is a measure of the overlapping of instructions while number of stages is a hardware constant. When you increase the number of stages, you usually make the CPU faster but it is with dimishing margin. See The more stages, the larger the depth but it is stated that there can be optimal number of stages or optimal depth: According to (M.S. Hrishikeshi et. al. the 29th International Symposium on Computer Architecture) The difference between pipeline depth and pipeline stages; is the Optimal Logic Depth Per Pipeline Stage which about is 6 to 8 FO4 Inverter Delays. In that, by decreasing the amount of logic per pipeline stage increases pipeline depth, which in turn reduces IPC due to increased branch misprediction penalties and functional unit latencies. In addition, reducing the amount of logic per pipeline stage reduces the amount of useful work per cycle while not affecting overheads associated with latches, clock skew and jitter. Therefore, shorter pipeline stages cause the overhead to become a greater fraction of the clock period, which reduces the effective frequency gains. Thanks for contributing an answer to Computer Science Stack Exchange! • ...

The instruction is divided into 5 subtasks: instruction fetch, instruction decode, operand fetch, instruction execution and operand store. The instruction fetch subtask will only perform the instruction fetching operation, instruction decode subtask will only be decoding the fetched instruction and so on the other subtasks will do. In this section, we will discuss the types of pipelining, pipelining hazards, its advantage. So let us start. Content: Pipelining in Computer Architecture • • • • • Introduction Have you ever visited an industrial plant and see the assembly lines over there? How a product passes through the assembly line and while passing it is worked on, at different phases simultaneously. For example, take a car manufacturing plant. At the first stage, the automobile chassis is prepared, in the next stage workers add body to the chassis, further, the engine is installed, then painting work is done and so on. The group of workers after working on the chassis of the first car don’t sit idle. They start working on the chassis of the next car. And the next group take the chassis of the car and add body to it. The same thing is repeated at every stage, after finishing the work on the current car body they take on next car body which is the output of the previous stage. Here, though the first car is completed in several hours or days, due to the assembly line arrangement it becomes possible to have a new car at the end of an assembly line in every clock cycle. Sim...