Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!ut-sally!pyramid!amdahl!nsc!curry From: curry@nsc.UUCP (Ray Curry) Newsgroups: net.micro.ns32k Subject: Re: 32332: how much faster than the 32032 ? Message-ID: <3774@nsc.UUCP> Date: Fri, 12-Sep-86 12:18:33 EDT Article-I.D.: nsc.3774 Posted: Fri Sep 12 12:18:33 1986 Date-Received: Fri, 12-Sep-86 22:25:48 EDT References: <15218@mordor.ARPA> Reply-To: curry@nsc.UUCP (Ray Curry) Distribution: net Organization: National Semiconductor, Sunnyvale Lines: 53 Sorry that this response was slow but we have had problems with our news program and mail. How much faster is the NS32332 than the NS32032? Like any answer concerning computers, it depends upon what environment and what tasks your talking about. First, where does the speed come from? National obtained roughly 3 times the performance for the NS32332 based upon better architecture, faster clock, and better compiler technology. For the purpose of this discussion, let's limit the discussion to the first. Better microcode, faster 32 bit address calculation, better interupt latency, and better hardware interface (burst mode memory) are the factors. As to the results, presently we have measured the following performance increase for the 32332 compared to the 32032 running the same code and same clock (10MHz). dhrystone 1.3x sieve 1.4x puzzle 1.6x EDN's 1.25x Overall I am seeing and average of about 50% faster, with some benchmarks as low as 20% and some as much as 90% faster. The state of optimization impacts the performance difference with less optimized code giving greater difference as might be expected. National is working on compilers supporting faster code by optimizing the instructions used and by using registers more intelligently. Nicknamed CTP for compiler technologies program, the compilers are a part of the move to UNIX V. They are due to be released later this year and I have used both Fortran 77 and C. I am still working on full characterization with a very large number of benchmarks, but in general with the new CTP compilers and the higher clock rate (15MHz), the overall improvement is pretty dramatic. The dhrystones have measured at 2800 dhry/sec on a DB332 board at 15MHz with code generated by the NSC CTP compiler on the Dhrystone Version 1.1. The board and the V.2 Unix are production released but the compiler is still in QA. This compares to 855 on the 032 with older compilers. Some of our customers had done some optimizations and got slightly higher numbers with dhrystones such as Sequent (up to around 1200-1300). Floating point intensive programs show less improvement because the 32081 is still being used, but even so there is some improvement because of the non-floating point instruction mix and the higher clock rate (15MHz). The 32081 is slower because of the older 16 bit slave protocal used but still runs competitively in many floating point benchmarks like the LINPAC. Whetstones run about 25% faster on the 332 at the same clock frequency with the 081. Early next year, there will be a NS32381 FPU that uses the 32 bit slave protocal available on the 32332 and some instruction improvements. Whetstone performance will of course climb when the new FPU is available with the expected increase to be about 2 to 1. As is NSC's policy on the NS32000 family, the 32381 will be code compatible with the 32081.