Floating point processor - Revision history

Jnc: better word

2019-04-10T21:42:33Z

better word

Jnc: copyedit

2019-04-10T21:40:56Z

copyedit

ForOldHack at 15:45, 1 April 2019

2019-04-01T15:45:33Z

Jnc: +cat

2018-12-15T14:25:33Z

+cat

Jnc: Some FPUs were microcode

2018-09-09T21:43:31Z

Some FPUs were microcode

Jnc: fix link

2018-02-17T13:10:07Z

fix link

Jnc: A start...

2016-04-23T17:02:53Z

A start...

New page

A '''floating point processor''' was, until recently, an option which allowed a computer to handle [[floating point]] numbers in hardware. In early machines, it was a complete extra set of boards; later on, with the rise of [[microprocessors]], it became an optional chip.

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 In early machines, the hardware involved was a complete extra set of [[printed circuit board]]s; later on, with the rise of [[microprocessor]]s, it became an optional chip. Now that [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]] [[integrated circuit|chips]] typically contain extremely large numbers of [[transistor]]s, floating point is usually supported in them by default.
-Originally, in most CPUs with a only an integer [[Arithmetic logic unit|ALU]], integer multiply instructions took many CPU [[cycle]]s, because they were handled by repeated shifts and adds; similarly, divides were handled by repeated subtractions. In modern CPUs where the FPU is integrated into the CPU, there is usually a multiply network which can also be used to perform these integer operations in a few CPU cycles.
+Originally, in most CPUs with a only an integer [[Arithmetic logic unit|ALU]], integer multiply instructions took many CPU [[cycle]]s, because they were implemented by repeated shifts and adds; similarly, divides were handled by repeated subtractions. In modern CPUs where the FPU is integrated into the CPU, there is usually a multiply network which can also be used to perform these integer operations in a few CPU cycles.
 Very recently, [[Graphic Processing Unit]]s have been able to handle floating point operations needed for math intensive tasks such as image rendering, etc.
 [[Category: CPU Basics]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-A '''floating point processor''' or '''floating point unit''' was, until recently, an optional processor which allowed a computer to handle [[floating point]] numbers in [[hardware]]. (Now that [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]] [[integrated circuit|chips]] typically contain extremely large numbers of [[transistor]]s, floating point is usually supported in them by default.). For a normal integer based CPU with a ALU ( Arithmetic Logic Unit ), Multiply instructions took many CPU cycles, because they had to be handled by repeated adds, ( similar to divides being handled by repeated subtractions ), FPUs could perform these operations in a few CPU cycles.
+A '''floating point processor''' (often, technically, a '''floating point unit''') was, until recently, an option which allowed a computer to handle [[floating point]] numbers in [[hardware]]. In [[architecture|architectural]] terms, it might be a [[co-processor]], or on [[microcode]]d machines, it might be extra microcode, sometimes along with some additional hardware to speed up some aspects of the computation.
-In early machines, the hardware involved was a complete extra set of [[printed circuit board]]s; later on, with the rise of [[microprocessor]]s, it became an optional chip.
+In early machines, the hardware involved was a complete extra set of [[printed circuit board]]s; later on, with the rise of [[microprocessor]]s, it became an optional chip. Now that [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]] [[integrated circuit|chips]] typically contain extremely large numbers of [[transistor]]s, floating point is usually supported in them by default.
-In [[architecture|architectural]] terms, it might be a [[co-processor]], or on [[microcode]]d machines, it might be extra microcode, sometimes along with some additional hardware to speed up some aspects of the computation.
+Originally, in most CPUs with a only an integer [[Arithmetic logic unit|ALU]], integer multiply instructions took many CPU [[cycle]]s, because they were handled by repeated shifts and adds; similarly, divides were handled by repeated subtractions. In modern CPUs where the FPU is integrated into the CPU, there is usually a multiply network which can also be used to perform these integer operations in a few CPU cycles.
-Very recently, GPU ( Graphic Processing Units) have been able to handle floating point operations needed for AI, games, rendering and other math intensive tasks.
+Very recently, [[Graphic Processing Unit]]s have been able to handle floating point operations needed for math intensive tasks such as image rendering, etc.
 [[Category: CPU Basics]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-A '''floating point processor''' or '''floating point unit''' was, until recently, an option which allowed a computer to handle [[floating point]] numbers in [[hardware]]. (Now that [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]] [[integrated circuit|chips]] typically contain extremely large numbers of [[transistor]]s, floating point is usually supported in them by default.).
+A '''floating point processor''' or '''floating point unit''' was, until recently, an optional processor which allowed a computer to handle [[floating point]] numbers in [[hardware]]. (Now that [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]] [[integrated circuit|chips]] typically contain extremely large numbers of [[transistor]]s, floating point is usually supported in them by default.). For a normal integer based CPU with a ALU ( Arithmetic Logic Unit ), Multiply instructions took many CPU cycles, because they had to be handled by repeated adds, ( similar to divides being handled by repeated subtractions ), FPUs could perform these operations in a few CPU cycles.
 In early machines, the hardware involved was a complete extra set of [[printed circuit board]]s; later on, with the rise of [[microprocessor]]s, it became an optional chip.
 In [[architecture|architectural]] terms, it might be a [[co-processor]], or on [[microcode]]d machines, it might be extra microcode, sometimes along with some additional hardware to speed up some aspects of the computation.
 [[Category: CPU Basics]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:25, 15 December 2018
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	In [[architecture\|architectural]] terms, it might be a [[co-processor]], or on [[microcode]]d machines, it might be extra microcode, sometimes along with some additional hardware to speed up some aspects of the computation.		In [[architecture\|architectural]] terms, it might be a [[co-processor]], or on [[microcode]]d machines, it might be extra microcode, sometimes along with some additional hardware to speed up some aspects of the computation.
		+
		+	[[Category: CPU Basics]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:43, 9 September 2018
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−	A '''floating point processor''' was, until recently, an option which allowed a computer to handle [[floating point]] numbers in hardware. In early machines, it was a complete extra set of ~~boards~~; later on, with the rise of [[microprocessor]]s, it became an optional chip.	+	A '''floating point processor''' or '''floating point unit''' was, until recently, an option which allowed a computer to handle [[floating point]] numbers in [[hardware]]. (Now that [[Central Processing Unit\|CPU]] [[integrated circuit\|chips]] typically contain extremely large numbers of [[transistor]]s, floating point is usually supported in them by default.).
		+
		+	In early machines, the hardware involved was a complete extra set of [[printed circuit board]]s; later on, with the rise of [[microprocessor]]s, it became an optional chip.
		+
		+	In [[architecture\|architectural]] terms, it might be a [[co-processor]], or on [[microcode]]d machines, it might be extra microcode, sometimes along with some additional hardware to speed up some aspects of the computation.

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:10, 17 February 2018
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−	A '''floating point processor''' was, until recently, an option which allowed a computer to handle [[floating point]] numbers in hardware. In early machines, it was a complete extra set of boards; later on, with the rise of [[~~microprocessors~~]], it became an optional chip.	+	A '''floating point processor''' was, until recently, an option which allowed a computer to handle [[floating point]] numbers in hardware. In early machines, it was a complete extra set of boards; later on, with the rise of [[microprocessor]]s, it became an optional chip.