Extending an embedded RISC microprocessor for efficient translation based Java execution

Java has gained great popularity in embedded appliances such as set-top boxes, smart phones and other hand held devices. In this paper we propose a translation based hw/sw codesigned Java virtual machine architecture, which extends a typical embedded RISC processor. The architectural extensions we propose include special instructions that accelerate translated blocks dispatch and security checks for arrays and objects. The extensions are done in a way that operating systems support is maintained, something that makes their adoption more attractive. Benchmarking using Embedded Caffeine Mark (ECM) benchmarks, showed significant speedups, especially when high performance RISC processors are employed.