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SubjectRe: Use of CPU for DSP-type tasks
On Mon, Dec 21, 1998 at 05:28:11PM -0600, Paul R. Wilson wrote:
>
> >This sounds a bit like the philosophy behind WinModems
> >(the main processor is fast enough so why buy a DSP?).
>
> The strategy of using the general-purpose CPU for various
> tasks makes a lot of sense at the low end.
[...]
> In general, though, it often does make sense to use the
> main CPU for any task it's appropriate for.

This just doesn't make sense. Why use ten percent of your $500 CPU to perform
a task which can just as easily be handled by a DSP or other embedded logic
worth $2?

For every task which is offloaded from the CPU to inexpensive dedicated
hardware, you have that much CPU left to perform useful work. For instance,
a Pentium II at 350MHz can probably decode an MPEG2 video stream in real-time,
but not have enough CPU cycles left over to do much in the way of useful work.
So you'd have to buy a 450MHz (or faster) CPU to be able to other things while
this video stream played, and having to buy the leading edge will cost you
dear. Instead, a $20 dedicated MPEG2 decoder chip can free up even more
CPU cycles, and cost significantly less in the process.

Charles Cazabon


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