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Nano Programming -Unit III

The document discusses nano programming, which combines horizontal and vertical micro-instruction formats to optimize control signal generation in computer architecture. Horizontal micro-instructions produce multiple control signals simultaneously but require large memory, while vertical micro-instructions are narrower and slower due to decoding. Nano programming utilizes a two-level control memory system to balance these trade-offs, allowing for efficient memory usage and faster execution, although it introduces increased memory access time as a disadvantage.

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Victosudha George
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5 views3 pages

Nano Programming -Unit III

The document discusses nano programming, which combines horizontal and vertical micro-instruction formats to optimize control signal generation in computer architecture. Horizontal micro-instructions produce multiple control signals simultaneously but require large memory, while vertical micro-instructions are narrower and slower due to decoding. Nano programming utilizes a two-level control memory system to balance these trade-offs, allowing for efficient memory usage and faster execution, although it introduces increased memory access time as a disadvantage.

Uploaded by

Victosudha George
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Nano programming in Micro Instruction

Format
Microinstructionforma:
The control field of the micro-instruction decides the control signals to be produced. It is of two
different formats Horizontal or Vertical. Let’s discuss it one by one.

Type-1:
Horizontalmicro-instruction:
Here, we will discuss the horizontal micro-instruction format as follows.

 Every bit of the micro-instruction corresponds to a control signal.


 The bit which is 1, that corresponding control signal will be produced by the micro-
instruction. If there are N bits in micro-instruction then it can produce N control signals
by that micro-instruction.
 As the control signals increase, the micro-instruction grows wider. Therefore, the control
memory grows horizontally.
 Executes faster because no decoder is used.
 The control memory is large because the micro-instructions are wide.

Horizontal micro-instruction format

Type-2:
Verticalmicro-instruction:
Here, we will discuss the vertical micro-instruction format as follows.

 The bits of the micro-instruction are decoded.


 The decoded output decides the control signal to be produced.
 N bits in the micro-instruction will totally generate 2N control signals.
 But one control can be generated by one micro-instruction.
 More micro-instructions are needed.
 Also, the decoding makes the execution slower.
 The circuit is complex.
Vertical micro-instruction format

Need for nano programming :

 Horizontal micro-instructions can produce multiple control signals simultaneously but are very
wide. This makes the control memory very large.
 Vertical micro-instructions are narrow, but after decoding, only produce one control signal. This
makes the control memory small, but the execution is slow.
 Both methods have their own pros and cons.
 Hence, a combination of both techniques is needed to be called nano programming.

Nano programming :

1. Here we have a two-level control memory.


2. The instruction is fetched from the main memory into instruction register IR.
3. Using its opcode we load address of its first micro-instruction into µPC,
4. Using this address we fetch the micro-instruction from micro control memory (µCM) into micro
instruction register µIR.
5. This is in vertical form and decoded by a decoder.
6. The decoded output loads a new address in a nano program counter (nPC).
7. By using this address, the nano-instruction is fetched from nano-control memory (nCM) into
nano instruction register (nIR).
8. This is in horizontal form and can directly generate control signals which can be multiple at a
time.
9. Such a combination gives advantage of both techniques.
10. The size of the control Memory is small as micro-instructions are vertical.
Nano programming circuit.

Example

 Suppose processors have 32 instructions (8 for arithmetic operations 8 for data transfer
operations, 8 for logical operations 8 for shift operation). Suppose we require 32 control signals
total in which 8 are responsible for performing data transfer operation, 8 for logical,8 for a shift,
and 8 for arithmetic.
 If we implement it by horizontal micro-instruction, then the size of each micro-instruction
should be 32 bits. Most probably for data transfer operation we don’t need a control signal for
the other 3 types of instruction so in the whole micro-instruction the 27 bits for generating
control signals for different 3 instruction types are 0 (garbage) which makes lots of memory
space waste, also control memory size increases.
 If we use nano programming, then micro-control memory has instructions for identifying the
type of the instruction by decoding i.e using vertical micro-instruction. After identifying the type
of instruction the nano control memory is responsible for generating control signals for that
particular instruction type that is identified previously. So the advantage of that is every nano
instruction size reduces to 8 bits and every micro-instruction size reduces to 2 bits(for
identifying 4 different types of instruction and for 2×4 decoder) i.e advantage of vertical micro-
instruction also we can produce multiple control signal for a particular instruction type
simultaneously which is an advantage of horizontal instruction.

Disadvantage of Nano programming

Increased memory access time:- The main disadvantage of the two level memory approaches is
the loss of speed due to theextra memory access required for Nano control memory.

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