[comp.sys.next] Why does my DSP seem so SLOW????

zazula@uazhe0.physics.arizona.edu (RALPH ZAZULA) (03/29/91)

So I'm working on this neural-net problem and figure that the matrix
multiplicatons I'm doing would be ideally suited for the DSP.  I was
curious just how much of a speedup I would get so I did a naive timing
study using a modified
/NextDeveloper/Examples/DSP/ArrayProcessing/matrix/matrix.c

What I did was to loop over the DSPAPmtm call and the 'manual'
calculation of the matrix-multiply and used time(3) to get the
times.  With a loop of 1000 iterations, the DSP takes 21 sec
and the 030 takes 1 sec.  What??? I said...  So, maybe the loop
got optimized out???  Nope.  If I omit the -O qualifier *and*
add the loop index to the matrix elements, thus insuring that the
entire loop gets executed, I get the same results.

So why does it appear that the DSP is running 20 (twenty) times slower
than the 030/math-chip combo?

NOTE that I did not include the DSPAPWrite/ReadFloatArray calls in 
the timing loop.  These are documented by NeXT as being inefficient.

Ralph

   |----------------------------------------------------------------------|
   | Ralph Zazula                               "Computer Addict!"        |
   | University of Arizona                 ---  Department of Physics     |
   |   UAZHEP::ZAZULA                            (DecNet/HEPNet)          |
   |   zazula@uazhe0.physics.arizona.edu         (Internet)               |
   |----------------------------------------------------------------------|
   |   "You can twist perceptions, reality won't budge."  - Neil Peart    |
   |----------------------------------------------------------------------|

nates@sporobolus.NREL.ColoState.EDU (Nate Sammons) (03/29/91)

hey,

	I'm thinking of getting a NeXTstation, but I need to know something:

Right now I am using a Mac SE/30 and am doing LOTS of mechanical design work
on it with a program called MacBRAVO! (I have MODELER and DETAILER) It was 
ported to the mac from a VAX (on the VAX it is called BRAVO 3) but is now
a mac-ish program....

	Does anyone out there know if Schlumberger is planning a NeXT version?
if so, tell me... if not, who is planning a 3D CAD package for the NeXT, and 
when will it be available??  must support 3D designing, and have a very 
powerful set of tools geared (no pun intended) toward the mechanical side of
designing....


			PLEASE HELP!!!!


						-Nate

************************************************************************
*  Nate Sammons     voice: (303) 482-6812      data: (303) 493-4325    *
*                                                                      *
*           nsammons@lobo.rmhs.colorado.edu                            *
*           nates@sporobolus.nrel.colostate.edu                        *
*                                                                      *
*                         "deus ex machina"                            *
*                                                                      *
************************************************************************