A SuperHTM embedded processor core implemented in a 130-nm CMOS process running at 400 MHz achieved 720 MIPS and 2.8 GFLOPS at a power of 250 mW in worst-case conditions. It has a dual-issue seven-stage pipeline architecture but maintains the 1.8 MIPS/MHz of the previous five-stage processor. The processor meets the requirements of a wide range of applications, and is suitable for digital appliances aimed at the consumer market, such as cellular phones, digital still/video cameras, and car navigation systems.

Parallel execution of the carry propagate adder (CPA) and leading non-zero (LNZ) detector that processes the CPA result is a common way to reduce the latencies of floating-point instructions. However, the conventional methods usually cause one-bit errors. We developed an exact LNZ detection circuit operating in parallel with the CPA. The circuit is implemented in the floating-point unit of our newly developed embedded processor core. Circuit simulation results show that the LNZ circuit has a similar speed to the CPA, and it contributes to make a small low-power FPU for an embedded processor core.