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Hub AI
Test-and-set AI simulator
(@Test-and-set_simulator)
Hub AI
Test-and-set AI simulator
(@Test-and-set_simulator)
Test-and-set
In computer science, the test-and-set instruction is an instruction used to write (set) a flag value to a memory location and return its old value as a single atomic (i.e., non-interruptible) operation. The caller can then "test" the result to see if the state was changed by the call. If multiple processes may access the same memory location, and if a process is currently performing a test-and-set, no other process may begin another test-and-set until the first process's test-and-set is finished. A central processing unit (CPU) may use a test-and-set instruction offered by another electronic component, such as dual-port RAM; a CPU itself may also offer a test-and-set instruction.
A lock can be built using an atomic test-and-set instruction as follows:
This code assumes that the memory location was initialized to 0 at some point prior to the first test-and-set. The calling process obtains the lock if the old value was 0, otherwise the while-loop spins waiting to acquire the lock. This is called a spinlock. At any point, the holder of the lock can simply set the memory location back to 0 to release the lock for acquisition by another--this does not require any special handling as the holder "owns" this memory location. "Test and test-and-set" is another example.
Maurice Herlihy (1991) proved that test-and-set (1-bit comparand) has a finite consensus number and can solve the wait-free consensus problem for at-most two concurrent processes. In contrast, compare-and-swap (32-bit comparand) offers a more general solution to this problem, and in some implementations wider compare-and-swap (64- or 128-bit comparand) is also available for extended utility.
DPRAM test-and-set instructions can work in many ways. Here are two variations, both of which describe a DPRAM which provides exactly 2 ports, allowing 2 separate electronic components (such as 2 CPUs) access to every memory location on the DPRAM.
When CPU 1 issues a test-and-set instruction, the DPRAM first makes an "internal note" of this by storing the address of the memory location in a special place. If at this point, CPU 2 happens to issue a test-and-set instruction for the same memory location, the DPRAM first checks its "internal note", recognizes the situation, and issues a BUSY interrupt, which tells CPU 2 that it must wait and retry. This is an implementation of a busy waiting or spinlock using the interrupt mechanism. Since all this happens at hardware speeds, CPU 2's wait to get out of the spin-lock is very short.
Whether or not CPU 2 was trying to access the memory location, the DPRAM performs the test given by CPU 1. If the test succeeds, the DPRAM sets the memory location to the value given by CPU 1. Then the DPRAM wipes out its "internal note" that CPU 1 was writing there. At this point, CPU 2 could issue a test-and-set, which would succeed.
CPU 1 issues a test-and-set instruction to write to "memory location A". The DPRAM does not immediately store the value in memory location A, but instead simultaneously moves the current value to a special register, while setting the contents of memory location A to a special "flag value". If at this point, CPU 2 issues a test-and-set to memory location A, the DPRAM detects the special flag value, and as in Variation 1, issues a BUSY interrupt.
Test-and-set
In computer science, the test-and-set instruction is an instruction used to write (set) a flag value to a memory location and return its old value as a single atomic (i.e., non-interruptible) operation. The caller can then "test" the result to see if the state was changed by the call. If multiple processes may access the same memory location, and if a process is currently performing a test-and-set, no other process may begin another test-and-set until the first process's test-and-set is finished. A central processing unit (CPU) may use a test-and-set instruction offered by another electronic component, such as dual-port RAM; a CPU itself may also offer a test-and-set instruction.
A lock can be built using an atomic test-and-set instruction as follows:
This code assumes that the memory location was initialized to 0 at some point prior to the first test-and-set. The calling process obtains the lock if the old value was 0, otherwise the while-loop spins waiting to acquire the lock. This is called a spinlock. At any point, the holder of the lock can simply set the memory location back to 0 to release the lock for acquisition by another--this does not require any special handling as the holder "owns" this memory location. "Test and test-and-set" is another example.
Maurice Herlihy (1991) proved that test-and-set (1-bit comparand) has a finite consensus number and can solve the wait-free consensus problem for at-most two concurrent processes. In contrast, compare-and-swap (32-bit comparand) offers a more general solution to this problem, and in some implementations wider compare-and-swap (64- or 128-bit comparand) is also available for extended utility.
DPRAM test-and-set instructions can work in many ways. Here are two variations, both of which describe a DPRAM which provides exactly 2 ports, allowing 2 separate electronic components (such as 2 CPUs) access to every memory location on the DPRAM.
When CPU 1 issues a test-and-set instruction, the DPRAM first makes an "internal note" of this by storing the address of the memory location in a special place. If at this point, CPU 2 happens to issue a test-and-set instruction for the same memory location, the DPRAM first checks its "internal note", recognizes the situation, and issues a BUSY interrupt, which tells CPU 2 that it must wait and retry. This is an implementation of a busy waiting or spinlock using the interrupt mechanism. Since all this happens at hardware speeds, CPU 2's wait to get out of the spin-lock is very short.
Whether or not CPU 2 was trying to access the memory location, the DPRAM performs the test given by CPU 1. If the test succeeds, the DPRAM sets the memory location to the value given by CPU 1. Then the DPRAM wipes out its "internal note" that CPU 1 was writing there. At this point, CPU 2 could issue a test-and-set, which would succeed.
CPU 1 issues a test-and-set instruction to write to "memory location A". The DPRAM does not immediately store the value in memory location A, but instead simultaneously moves the current value to a special register, while setting the contents of memory location A to a special "flag value". If at this point, CPU 2 issues a test-and-set to memory location A, the DPRAM detects the special flag value, and as in Variation 1, issues a BUSY interrupt.