METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHUFFLING DATA USING HIERARCHICAL SHUFFLE UNITS

A method and corresponding apparatus for processing a shuffle instruction are provided. Shuffle units are configured in a hierarchical structure, and each of the shuffle units generates a shuffled data element array by performing shuffling on an input data element array. In the hierarchical structure, which includes an upper shuffle unit and a lower shuffle unit, the shuffled data element array output from the lower shuffle unit is input to the upper shuffle unit as a portion of the input data element array for the upper shuffle unit.