MIPS-X is a reduced instruction set computer (RISC)

microprocessor A microprocessor is a computer processor (computing), processor for which the data processing logic and control is included on a single integrated circuit (IC), or a small number of ICs. The microprocessor contains the arithmetic, logic, a ...

and

instruction set architecture In computer science, an instruction set architecture (ISA) is an abstract model that generally defines how software controls the CPU in a computer or a family of computers. A device or program that executes instructions described by that ISA, ...

(ISA) developed as a follow-on project to the MIPS project at

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

by the same team that developed MIPS. The project was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ( DARPA) and began in 1984. Its final form was described in a set of papers released in 1986–87. Unlike its older cousin, MIPS-X was never commercialized as a workstation

central processing unit A central processing unit (CPU), also called a central processor, main processor, or just processor, is the primary Processor (computing), processor in a given computer. Its electronic circuitry executes Instruction (computing), instructions ...

(CPU), and has mainly been seen in embedded system designs based on chips designed by Integrated Information Technology (IIT) for use in digital video applications. MIPS-X, while designed by the same team and architecturally very similar, is instruction-set incompatible with the mainline

MIPS architecture MIPS (Microprocessor without Interlocked Pipelined Stages) is a family of reduced instruction set computer (RISC) instruction set architectures (ISA)Price, Charles (September 1995). ''MIPS IV Instruction Set'' (Revision 3.2), MIPS Technologies ...

R-series processors. The MIPS-X processor introduced the concept of a delayed branch, which includes two delay slots. An MIPS-X processor also includes a Processor Status Word (PSW) register. The PSW register contains some flags that enable

interrupt In digital computers, an interrupt (sometimes referred to as a trap) is a request for the processor to ''interrupt'' currently executing code (when permitted), so that the event can be processed in a timely manner. If the request is accepted ...

ions, overflow exceptions and other status information. The MIPS-X processor is obscure enough that, as of November 20, 2005, support for it is provided only by specialist developers (such as Green Hills Software), and is notably missing from the

GNU Compiler Collection The GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) is a collection of compilers from the GNU Project that support various programming languages, Computer architecture, hardware architectures, and operating systems. The Free Software Foundation (FSF) distributes ...

(GCC). MIPS-X has become important among DVD player

firmware In computing Computing is any goal-oriented activity requiring, benefiting from, or creating computer, computing machinery. It includes the study and experimentation of algorithmic processes, and the development of both computer hardware, h ...

hackers, since many DVD players (especially low-end devices) use chips based on the IIT design (and produced by ESS Technology), as their central processor. Devices such as the ESS VideoDrive

system on a chip A system on a chip (SoC) is an integrated circuit that combines most or all key components of a computer or Electronics, electronic system onto a single microchip. Typically, an SoC includes a central processing unit (CPU) with computer memory, ...

(SoC) also include a digital signal processor (DSP) (coprocessor) for decoding MPEG audio and video streams.

References

External links

The original MIPS-X paper
from Stanford Instruction set architectures MIPS architecture Stanford University 32-bit microprocessors {{Microcompu-stub