Reconfigurable semantic processor

Abstract

Data processors and methods for their configuration and use are disclosed. As opposed to traditional von Neumann microprocessors, the disclosed processors are semantic processors—they parse an input stream and direct one or more semantic execution engines to execute code segments, depending on what is being parsed. For defined-structure input streams such as packet data streams, these semantic processors can be both economical and fast as compared to a von Neumann system. Several optional components can augment device operation. For instance, a machine context data interface relieves the semantic execution engines from managing physical memory, allows the orderly access to memory by multiple engines, and implements common access operations. Further, a simple von Neumann exception-processing unit can be attached to a semantic execution engine to execute more complicated, but infrequent or non-time-critical operations.

1 . A method of operating a network processor, the method comprising: 
 detecting, at an input port, reception of the start of a datagram comprising multiple data symbols;    directing a direct execution parser to parse data symbols from the datagram according to a set of stored production rules; and    at least once during the parsing process, directing a semantic code execution engine to execute a code segment associated with a production rule.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising during execution of the code segment, executing an instruction that generates a machine-context data request to an attached machine context data interface, and translating the machine context data request to at least one physical memory operation.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 detecting the occurrence of datagram content that cannot be processed by a semantic code execution engine; and    directing an exception processing unit to process the datagram content.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein executing the code segment comprises directing a block input/output data operation to a block input/output port.