Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!psuvax1!swatsun!swatsun!gessel From: gessel@ilium.cs.swarthmore.edu (Daniel Mark Gessel) Newsgroups: comp.sys.next Subject: Re: 68040 Math / Why so much system time? Message-ID: Date: 15 Feb 91 16:10:36 GMT References: <1991Feb14.160749.19048@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> Sender: news@cs.swarthmore.edu Distribution: na Organization: Swarthmore College, Swarthmore Pa. Lines: 16 In-Reply-To: finn@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu's message of Thu, 14 Feb 91 16:07:49 GMT Nntp-Posting-Host: ilium Sin is simulated in software. sqrt is implemented in hardware. It was an issue of space on the 040. They ran alot of traces of what instructions were used, and chose to fit sqrt, and I assume multiply, add, sub, divide, and maybe a few others, on chip. The 68882 has more operations on chip, but the speedup gained by having the FP unit on chip apparently makes up for that in a big way, even though some of them are not hardware implemented. Don't take this info as gospel. It's what I remember from a talk I heard from the 68040 project leader. Dan -- Daniel Mark Gessel Internet: gessel@cs.swarthmore.edu I do not speak (nor type) representing Swarthmore College.