Program tracing in a multithreaded processor

1. A method of generating a program trace on a multithreaded processor, the method comprising:

detecting issuance of a first instruction;

generating a first program trace entry for the first instruction, wherein the first program trace entry includes a first thread ID for the first instruction;

detecting issuance of a second instruction;

generating a second program trace entry for the second instruction, wherein the second program trace entry includes a second thread ID for the second instruction, wherein the first thread ID is different than the second thread ID;

detecting the occurrence of a thread switch; and

performing a synchronization operation in response to the thread switch, wherein the synchronization operation comprises inserting a number equal to the number of instructions issued since a previous synchronization operation into the program trace.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the synchronization operation further comprises inserting a program counter into the program trace.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising compressing the program trace.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the compressing the program trace comprises tokenizing the first program trace entry and the second program trace entry.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising periodically performing synchronization operations with the program trace.

6. A program trace generator for generating a program trace on a multithreaded processor comprising:

means for detecting issuance of a first instruction;

means for generating a first program trace entry for the first instruction, wherein the first program trace entry includes a first thread ID for the first instruction;

means for detecting issuance of a second instruction;

means for generating a second program trace entry for the second instruction, wherein the second program trace entry includes a second thread ID for the second instruction, wherein the first thread ID is different than the second thread ID;

means for detecting the occurrence of a thread switch; and

means for performing a synchronization operation in response to the thread switch, wherein the means for performing a synchronization operation comprises means for inserting a number equal to the number of instructions issued since a previous synchronization operation into the program trace.

7. The program trace generator of claim 6 , wherein the means for performing a synchronization operation further comprises means for inserting a program counter into the program trace.

8. The program trace generator of claim 6 , further comprising means for compressing the program trace.

9. The program trace generator of claim 8 , wherein the means for compressing the program trace comprises means for tokenizing the first program trace entry and the second program trace entry.

10. The program trace generator of claim 6 , further comprising means for periodically performing synchronization operations with the program trace.

11. A method of generating a program trace on a multithreaded processor, the method comprising:

detecting issuance of a first instruction;

generating a first program trace entry for the first instruction;

detecting a thread switch; and

inserting a thread switch marker into the program trace when a thread switch is detected.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

detecting issuance of a second instruction; and

generating a second program trace entry for the first instruction.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first instruction is from first thread and the second instruction is from a second thread.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising compressing the program trace.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the compressing the program trace comprises:

tokenizing the first program trace entry to form a first program trace token; and

tokenizing the thread switch marker into a thread switch token.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising periodically performing synchronization operations with the program trace.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the synchronization operation further comprises inserting a program counter into the program trace.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the thread switch marker contains a first thread ID of the active thread after the thread switch.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the thread switch marker contains a second thread ID of the active thread before the thread switch.

20. A program trace generator for generating a program trace on a multithreaded processor, the program trace generator comprising:

means for detecting issuance of a first instruction;

means for generating a first program trace entry for the first instruction;

means for detecting a thread switch; and

means for inserting a thread switch marker into the program trace when a thread switch is detected.

21. The program trace generator of claim 20 , further comprising:

means for detecting issuance of a second instruction; and

means for generating a second program trace entry for the first instruction.

22. The program trace generator of claim 21 , wherein the first instruction is from first thread and the second instruction is from a second thread.

23. The program trace generator of claim 20 , further comprising means for compressing the program trace.

24. The program trace generator of claim 23 , wherein the means for compressing the program trace comprises:

means for tokenizing the first program trace entry to form a first program trace token; and

means for tokenizing the thread switch marker into a thread switch token.

25. The program trace generator of claim 20 , further comprising means for periodically performing synchronization operations with the program trace.

26. The program trace generator of claim 25 , wherein the means for performing a synchronization operation further comprises means for inserting a program counter into the program trace.

27. The program trace generator of claim 20 , wherein the thread switch marker contains a first thread ID of the active thread after the thread switch.

28. The program trace generator of claim 27 , wherein the thread switch marker contains a second thread ID of the active thread before the thread switch.

29. A program trace generator for generating a program trace on a multithreaded processor comprising:

detector configured to detect issuance of a first instruction;

generator configured to generate a first program trace entry for the first instruction, wherein the first program trace entry includes a first thread ID for the first instruction;

detector configured to detect issuance of a second instruction;

generator configured to generate a second program trace entry for the second instruction, wherein the second program trace entry includes a second thread ID for the second instruction, wherein the first thread ID is different than the second thread ID;

detector configured to detect the occurrence of a thread switch; and

performer configured to perform a synchronization operation in response to the thread switch, wherein the performer comprises inserter configured to insert a number equal to the number of instructions issued since a previous synchronization operation into the program trace.

30. A program trace generator for generating a program trace on a multithreaded processor, the program trace generator comprising:

detector configured to detect issuance of a first instruction;

generator configured to generate a first program trace entry for the first instruction;

detector configured to detect a thread switch; and

inserter configured to insert a thread switch marker into the program trace when a thread switch is detected.