>
> Hello everybody!
>
> I have some questions about the programming contest. I have already been
> busy making an unsigned multiply routine as a start. But I encounter some
> problems with the contest itself:
>
> - The real routine needs to be signed. But how to do that? I mean do I
have
> to use 2-complement notation or can I just take whatever I like... For
> instance I can use 15 out of 16 bits for keeping the number and use 1
bit
> for deciding if this number is positive or negative.
2-complement of course, how else ?
>
> - What is the time an instruction uses? I have a table with T-states, but
I
> have heard something about wait-states. Do I have to add one wait-state
> for every instruction, for every byte of code or for every M-cycle?
For nobody knows how to calculate with W-states, I think it is best to
calculate with T-states only so everyone counts the same. I got the
official
Zilog Z80 datasheets with W-states, but I won't use them, OK ?
>
> - How is the time the routine uses calculated? There are some jumps in it
> which make a worst case/best case situation possible. But simply take
an
> average of these isn't enough. When a routine is optimized for one
> calculation (for instance 0*0) and it takes other calculations at
normal
> speed the best case gets much better and the worst case gets only
little
> worse. So the average will get better. Please give better regulations
on
> this subject.
I'll take some random numbers (8 pairs for multiply and 8 for division), of
course they are arthimetical checked for : Lot's of 1's, Lot's of 0's, High
values, Low values... Of course i'll get a sort of average out of it.
>
> - Are the multiply routine and the division routine part of separate
> contests or are they together in one contest? I can imagine both
routines
> may result in different winners. So who will be the winner overall?
Your rangs of the multiply and division - contest will be added and the one
with the lowest all-over rang wins...
>
> - All routines are said to be published at the mailinglist at november
1st.
> This is after the end of the contest to get a fair competition. But in
> his mail of september 4th Jos Hulzink writes nobody needs to send his
> routines because he already has the fastest routines himself. But a
real
> fair competition excludes him from taking part in it! Except if
everybody
> sends his routines to him on october 31th at the end of the day...
For gods sake.... I organize it.. I'm also one of the organisation of THE
FAIR so what makes sense I win the contest ? Of course I'm excluded
>
Greetz. Jos
