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From: grenley@nsc.nsc.com (George Grenley)
Newsgroups: comp.arch,comp.sys.nsc.32k
Subject: Performance of the 532
Message-ID: <4294@nsc.nsc.com>
Date: Wed, 6-May-87 22:28:44 EDT
Article-I.D.: nsc.4294
Posted: Wed May  6 22:28:44 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 9-May-87 01:55:20 EDT
References: <324@dumbo.UUCP> <809@killer.UUCP> <2417@homxa.UUCP>
Reply-To: grenley@nsc.UUCP (George Grenley)
Organization: National Semiconductor, Sunnyvale
Lines: 33
Summary: It's NOT 15mips (yet)
Xref: mnetor comp.arch:1202 comp.sys.nsc.32k:133

Well, discussion on the '532 seems to have died down a bit, so I guess
it's time to stir things up.  The 532 will run at 30mhz (maybe faster),
and many instructions execute in two clocks.  This lead to some eager
magazine types to claim "15 MIP Performance".  I guess in the wake of
the hoopla about AMD's new chip, it's understandable the editors got
a little excited.

So, here are some simulated facts:  Our design team has done simulations
of the chip's performance, both with ideal 0 wait state memory and with
"real world" typical VME bus memory.  We ran some unix utilities, including
our own compilers, etc.  I will divulge a few of these numbers now, and more
later.  (If I don't get burned for this):

Grep ran at 8.4 mips from 0 ws memory, 7.9 from VME.  Grep was one of the
best.  One of the worst was our assembler, it hit 5 mips from 0 ws, and
4.5 mips from VME.  On the average (these two plus several other CPU 
intensive programs) the '532 hit 6.1 mips from 0 ws, 5.3 mips from VME.

So, here's the deal.  I invite Mot, Intel, and other interested parties
to work with me in defining some sort of realistic benchmark, which we'll
run (in public).  I expect to have system level hardware late this year,
so if we get started now, we'll have very interesting Xmas presents...

May the best CPU win!  (Not that having the best CPU is a requirement for
having the most design wins - just ask Intel).

Regards,

George Grenley
Manager, '532 systems development (or something like that)

Disclaimer:  I work for NSC. I used to work for Intel, selling 8086s.
Before that, I sold 68000s for Mostek.  I would rather drive steam trains.