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- Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++,comp.programming
- Path: uu4news.netcom.com!amc-gw!curtis
- From: curtis@amc.com (Curtis Green)
- Subject: Re: Why are 32 bit better than 16 bit pgms?
- Message-ID: <1996Feb5.163838.24531@amc.com>
- Organization: Applied Microsystems Corporation
- X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
- References: <4er4m4$78q@news1.ucsd.edu>
- Date: Mon, 5 Feb 1996 16:38:38 GMT
-
- The "bits" quoated for the processor (16 bit, 32 bit, 64 bit, etc) is the
- size of the data path (data bus). The advantage of 16 bit over 8 bit or 32 bit
- over 16 bit is that the processor can access twice as much data in a single
- memory access. The number of address lines determine how much memory the
- processor can access and is basically irrelivent to the applications
- programmer (unless you are doing lower level memory management).
-
- Anyway, the wider the data bus the more information that can be transfered
- by the processor durring one instruction. However, if your compiler
- does not support 32 bit, you won't be able to take real advantage of it
- becouse the correct instructions may not be generated.
-
-
- --
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- | Be seeing you...
- __&__ |
- / \ | Curtis Green
- | | | Applied Microsystems Embedded Systems
- | (o)(o) |
- C .---_) | (home) gozer@halcyon.com
- | |.___| |
- | \__/ | (work) curtis@amc.com
- /_____\ | http://www.amc.com
- /_____/ \ |
- / \ | My opinions are expressly mine on my own.
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