This Special Problems assignment explores pipelining in greater detail.
Activities
[1] Download and run
- PIPEDEMO.EXE
, which provides a graphical illustration of pipelined operating inside the Intel 80486 processor:
PIPEDEMO.EXE
It will look similar to this when running:
[2] If you click Next, PIPEDEMO will compare 80486 code execution with the Pentium’s execution:
[3] If you click Next again, PIPEDEMO will compare Pentium execution code samples:
[4] Fully investigate all features of PIPEDEMO. Keep the following questions in mind as you work with the utility:
- Does it provide a useful illustration?
- Does it help you understand pipelines and their related issues?
- Did the course material prepare you to appreciate what PIPEDEMO is doing?
- What are all the results of each full execution of code in the various scenarios? What do the results mean to you?
[5] Write and submit a two-page summary of your thoughts about pipelining and the PIPEDEMO utility.