CompuServe Messages

Please read what I wrote a little closer. The '040 native software does NOT do in software the trig finctions etc. The trig functions are carried out by the '040 as simpler math, ie., because the '040 does not support sine, cosine as direct functions, they are called as simpler functions and thus the need to handle these by software is avoided. Currently, some '030 programs (Lightwave) call direct trig that the '040 CANNOT DO DIRECTLY. The '040 then looks to Libraries for these and this slows things down. The '040 programs avoid this by making simpler calls to the chip. They do NOT perform these functions with software patches, that's what needs to be avoided. Instead they utilize the very quick (3.5 to 4 mflops as opposed to about 500 Kflops (note the K)) math in the '040 to get the final results. I got this information from folks at Progressive Peripherals and it makes good sense. If you like think of it as writing machine code to carry out a task as opposed to using BASIC which has to interpret the behunkus out of it. Machine language cannot with one command return strings which BASIC can do with little instruction, but when the numerous little intricate steps are taken to achieve the same result there are actually many many times fewer clock cycles eaten up in the process. Jim Roof