[CST-2] VLIW and signal processors

[Phebe Mann]

On Sat, 19 May 2001, Nathan Dimmock wrote:

> On Sat, May 19, 2001 , Martin Harper wrote:
> > Year 2000, Paper 7, Question 3 - most of it is easy, but one
> > three-marker threw me: "Why have VLIW architectures been used only for
> > special-purpose applications such as Digital Signal Processors?"
>
> VLIW processors rely heavily on the compiler or an assembler programmer.
> Since compiler tech isn't up to the job yet, they're not much use as general
> purpose processors, but they have very good peak performance making it worth
> while to pay a programmer to write specialised code e.g. for a DSP.
>
VLIW instruction word exposes too much of the internals of the processor
e.g. no. of functional units, also different VLIM processor may have
different format, therefore it is not backward binary compatible, hence
difficult for general purpose processor. If you are a software developer,
you don't want this to happen.

Phebe

> --
> Nathan                 Jesus College, Cambridge, CB5 8BL
>                        http://www-jcsu.jesus.cam.ac.uk/~ned21/
> Spock: The odds of surviving another attack are 13562190123 to 1, Captain.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> CST-2 mailing list
> CST-2@srcf.ucam.org
> http://www.srcf.ucam.org/mailman/listinfo/cst-2
>