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Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!psuvax1!psuvm!bhb3
From: BHB3@PSUVM.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.lang.fortran,comp.lang.c,comp.lang.pascal,sci.math.num-analysis
Subject: Re: Cyrix chip code generation
Message-ID: <89341.162025BHB3@PSUVM.BITNET>
Date: 7 Dec 89 21:20:25 GMT
References: <582@s5.Morgan.COM>
Organization: Penn State University
Lines: 32

In article <582@s5.Morgan.COM>, amull@Morgan.COM (Andrew P. Mullhaupt) says:
>
>We are having a good time with the new Cyrix FasMath 83d87 plug-in
>replacement for the 80387. It's pretty fast. It would be even faster
>if we could generate code which would take full advantage of it, as
>opposed to just 80387 code. Note that this code would be expected to
>run on 80387 chips also, but perhaps not optimally.
>
>1. Is this really actually possible (optimal code for 83D87 which
>doesn't break the 80387). It would seem so.
>
>2. Is there any plan for a compiler to generate such code? Language
>is not the main issue, but code generation is.
>
>(There is interest, but somewhat less excited interest, in the code
>generation for the II2 80287/80387 replacements.)
>
>Thanks in advance.
>Andrew Mullhaupt

As far as I understand the 80387 instruction set and the Cyrix one are
excactly the same, except that the Cyrix executes many of them much quicker
than the 80387.  You could use the Borland or Microsoft Assembler.  Both contai
n the full 80387 instruction set.  I suppose certain sequences of instruction
would make optimal use of the Cyrix chip.  I doubt any compiler manufacturers
are going to put out special modules for it.  The CYrix is competing against
the Weitek 3167 series, which are faster than it.  The selling point of the Cyr
ix chip is that is is compatable with all 80x87 software, whereas the Weitek
chips aren't.

                                                Brent H. Besler
                                                Ford Motor Scientific Research