Abstract
In designing a language-directed machine architecture, the choice of the technique used in interpreting machine instructions has considerable influence on machine performance. Yet, there does not appear to exist any well established design method for choosing an interpretive mechanism; or for determining the hardware/firmware support for an efficient implementation of such a mechanism. The purpose of this paper is to propose such a design method, based on the use of an architecture description language. The specific architectural focus of the paper is the variable-addressing mechanism in Ada and the implications that such mechanisms have on the implementation of procedure CALL/RETURN and block ENTRY/EXIT functions. The analysis presented in this paper clearly establishes that either Dijkstra's mechanism or “local display method” is not suitable for adoption in designing architectural support for variable-addressing in Ada.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
M. DePrycker, On the Development of a Measurement System for High Level Language Program Statistics,IEEE Trans. Comput.,C-31(9) 883–891, (September 1982).
G. J. Myers,Advances in Computer Architecture, Wiley-Interscience, John Wiley & Sons, New York, (1982).
A. S. Tanenbaum, Implications of Structured Programming for Machine Architecture,Comm. ACM,21(3) 237–245, (March 1978).
S. Dasgupta,The design and description of computer architectures, Willey-Interscience, John Wiley and Sons, New York (1984).
M. DePrycker, A Performance Analysis of the Implementation of Addressing Methods in Block Structured Languages,IEEE Trans. Comput.,C-31(2) 155–163, (February 1982).
E. W. Dijkstra, Recursive programming,Numer. Math.,2, (1960).
J. S. Rohl,An Introduction to Compiler Writing, MacDonald/Elsevier, London, (1975).
M. J. Rees,et al. Pascal on an Advanced Architecture,Pascal-The Language and Its Implementations, D. W. Barron (ed), John Wiley & Sons, New York, (1982).
O. Dommergaard, The Design of a Virtual Machine for Ada,Towards a Formal Description of Ada, D. Bjorner and O. N. Oest (eds), Springer-Verlag, Lecture Notes in Comp. Science, 98, Heidelberg, (1980).
S. Dasgupta, Computer design and description languages,Advances in Computers Vol. 21, M. C. Yovits (ed), Academic Press, New York, (1982).
S. Dasgupta and M. Olafsson, Towards a Family of Languages for the Design and Implementation of Machine Architectures,Proc. 9th Annual Symp. on Comp. Architecture, IEEE Comp. Soc. Press, New York, (1982).
P. Biswas and S. Dasgupta, Architectural support for variable addressing in block-structured languages, Tech Report 84-CSE-3, Southern Methodist University, (April 1984).
S. Dasgupta, On the Verification of Computer Architectures Using an Architecture Description Language,Proc. 10th Annual Symp. on Computer Architecture, IEEE Com. Soc. Press, New York, (1983).
S. H. Fuller and W. E. Burr, Measurement and Evaluation of Alternative Computer Architectures,IEEE Computer, (October 1977).
R. W. Doran,Computer Architecture: A Structured Approach, Academic Press, New York, (1979).
E. Horowitz,Fundamentals of Programming Languages, Computer Science Press, Rockville, Maryland, (1983).
P. Biswas, A capability architecture for Ada,IEEE Comp. Soc. Conf. on Ada Appl. and Env., St. Paul, Minnesota, (October 1984).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Ada is a registered trademark of the United States Government Ada joint program office.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Biswas, P., Dasgupta, S. Architectural support for variable addressing in Ada— A design approach. International Journal of Computer and Information Sciences 14, 51–72 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00990901
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00990901