MIPS: A VLSI Processor Architecture

Abstract

MIPS (Microprocessor without Interlocked Pipe Stages) is a general purpose processor architecture designed to be implemented on a single VLSI chip. The main goal of the design is high performance in the execution of compiled code. The architecture is experimental since it is a radical break with the trend of modern computer architectures. The basic philosophy of MIPS is to present an instruction set that is a compiler-driven encoding of the microengine. Thus, little or no decoding is needed and the instructions correspond closely to microcode instructions. The processor is pipelined but provides no pipeline interlock hardware; this function must be provided by software.