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From: frankr@inmet.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: Who wants a bunch of registers?
Message-ID: <5800069@inmet.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 18-Dec-85 20:05:00 EST
Article-I.D.: inmet.5800069
Posted: Wed Dec 18 20:05:00 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Dec-85 05:17:15 EST
Lines: 20
Nf-ID: #N:inmet:5800069:000:762
Nf-From: inmet!frankr    Dec 18 20:05:00 1985


What's so great about lots of registers?
Cache does a better job?
One general purpose register is best?

1. There are certain things that most common architectures require registers
to accomplish. In general, the more registers available to accomplish a 
type of task (indexing, indirect reference, whatever) the better. One of the
beauties of the PDP11 was the orthogonality of its register set.

2. Cache is definitely a Good Thing. In order for cache to remove the need
for registers it must cache instructions and data. The M68020 , for instance,
only has instruction cache on-chip.

3. ?? I simply can't think of a good reason why *one* general purpose register
is a good idea. (Before you flame me consider item #1)


Franklin Reynolds
ihpn4!inmet!frankr