Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!ukc!newcastle.ac.uk!tadhg!chris
From: Chris.Forker@newcastle.ac.uk (Chris Forker - Nav Arch-)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: CO-Processors---(Atari!) ARE NICE PEOPLE!
Message-ID: <1990Jan13.112501.26095@newcastle.ac.uk>
Date: 13 Jan 90 11:25:01 GMT
References: <9001030805.AA24416@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> <2865@cuphub.cup.edu> <1946@atari.UUCP>
Sender: news@newcastle.ac.uk
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In article <1946@atari.UUCP> apratt@atari.UUCP (Allan Pratt) writes:
>kar7481@cuphub.cup.edu (Dan Karbowsky;AtariEliteOfPghPa bbs412-384-5609) writes:
>>I was VERY INTERESTED in attempting to tack a mc68881 co-processor onto
>>my 1040.....I talked to ATARI-US and ATARI-UK: They couldn't tell me 
>>ANYTHING and ATARI-US denied the '881s existance.
>
>I can't imagine why they did that.
>
>Atari has a product, the SFP004, which is a 68881 peripheral for a Mega.
>It only works with Megas, not 1040s, which may have been the source
>of the confusion.  It comes with a library (and source!) for linking
>Alcyon C programs which use floating point so they use the 68881
>if it's there, and use the old software routines if it's not.
>
>============================================
>Opinions expressed above do not necessarily	-- Allan Pratt, Atari Corp.
>reflect those of Atari Corp. or anyone else.	  ...ames!atari!apratt

Allan, When I got the 68881 board for my Mega, I did not get a library
or source code. However, as I use Prospero's software I bought their
drivers.

You mention that the Alcyon C compiler uses the 68881 if it is there,
otherwise the software emulation. How does it manage this. With
Prospero's compilers, ( I use Fortran & Pascal ), the result will be a
bus error on machines with no 68881. Does TOS1.4 have some trap that I
can call from Fortan or Pascal which will indicate the presence of a
68881 ??

Thanks in advance

Chris....


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