Answers Database

Will a Pentium Pro or MMX instruction (P6) speed up Xilinx software?


Record #1363

Product Family:  Software

Product Line:  Merged Core

Problem Title:
Will a Pentium Pro or MMX instruction (P6) speed up Xilinx software?


Problem Description:
Will a Pentium Pro or MMX instruction (P6) speed up Xilinx software?


Solution 1:

Xilinx currently does not have any support for P6-specific code or
architecture.  Thus, Xilinx data files are not able to utilize specially
installed drivers (ie, MMX-enabled drivers).  Our current market model is
targeted for 486 machines.

The XACT tools do run faster on a 200 MHz P6 than on a 166 MHz P5, a
comparison between a 200 MHz P6 and a 200 MHz P5 has not been determined
at this time.

In the future, Xilinx may evaluate the feasibility of implementing P6
specific code, pending the availability of a Visual C++ compiler structures
its output to automatically take advantage of multiple processors as
do the compilers of some workstation vendors.



End of Record #1363