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From: graeme@labtam.labtam.oz (Graeme Gill)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Let's pretend
Summary: ARM is a bit short on regsiters
Keywords: Intel, 586, windows
Message-ID: <5796@labtam.labtam.oz>
Date: 19 Dec 90 03:56:46 GMT
References: <3042@crdos1.crd.ge.COM> <5782@labtam.labtam.oz> <1990Dec18.113834.5227@diku.dk>
Organization: Labtam Australia, Melbourne, Australia
Lines: 23

In article <1990Dec18.113834.5227@diku.dk>, torbenm@freke.diku.dk (Torben [gidius Mogensen) writes:
> graeme@labtam.labtam.oz (Graeme Gill) writes:
> 
> >as I know, only two mainstream processors support burst writes:
> >The Intel 80960, and the Amd 29000. Both make dandy processors for
> >X terminals, laser printers etc. etc. as a result.
> 
> There is also the ARM. And before you say that this isn't a mainstream
> processor, I should point out that it has a larger user base than
> either Intel 80960 or Amd 29000. In fact it is the second most used
> RISC processor (SPARC being the most used).

    But the ARM only has 16 generally accessible registers. From experience
with the 960 I have found that 32 registers looks a bit small when
you are reading and writing 4 words at a time. In this regard, the 29000
has an advantage. However, the 29000 is flawed in stalling execution while
a store or load multiple instruction is executing. I suspect the ARM
also suffers from this problem.
    The ARM does not seem to be used much outside Europe at the present
time. I do not hear much about Acorn computers in Australia, and they
do not seem to have any presence outside the home computer market.

	Graeme Gill