Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!cis.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!WATSON.IBM.COM!jbs From: jbs@WATSON.IBM.COM Newsgroups: comp.arch Subject: Fujitsu linear recurrence vector instruction Message-ID: <9105140213.AA15244@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> Date: 14 May 91 02:00:34 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Lines: 11 I believe what Fujitsu has actually done is provide a vector instruction to compute x(j)=a(j)*x(j-1)+b(j) (j=1,length vector register) given a,b and x(0). This runs slower than most vector instructions be- cause it can't be pipelined (ie the add for x(j) feeds the multiply for x(j+1)). It still may be advantageous however if it lies in a loop which can otherwise be vectorized since otherwise time is wasted moving stuff between the vector and scalar units. Of course I may have this all wrong. Perhaps someone from Fujitsu can give us the real story. James B. Shearer