Classification according to level of processing
According to this categorization computer operations are classified like arithmetic operations and instruction execution. Subsequently we discuss below classes of this categorizations:
- Instruction Pipeline: We know that an instruction cycle can comprise several operations such as decode opcode, fetch opcode, compute operand addresses, execute instructions, and fetch operands. These operations of instruction execution cycle may be realized by pipelining concept. Every of these operations represent one stage/phase of a pipeline. The overlapping of execution of operations via the pipeline offers a speedup over normal execution. So the pipelines used for instruction cycle operations are called instruction pipelines.
- Arithmetic Pipeline: The complex arithmetic operation such as floating point and multiplication operations takes much of the time of ALU. These operations can too be pipelined by sectioning the operations of ALU and as a result high speed performance can be achieved. So the pipelines used for arithmetic functions are called as arithmetic pipelines.