387 emulators (was: Wanted:387 SX)

From: Uncle Roger <sinasohn_at_crl.com>
Date: Tue Oct 21 18:08:14 1997

At 05:07 PM 10/20/97 +0000, you wrote:
>> 2) I saw several emulators, but the only one I found that actually worked
>> well, the file was called "FRANKE87" and was German in origin. It actually
>> fooled AutoCad 10 into believing there was a co-processor chip on my 386SX
>> and actually did speed up FP instructions (measured with CheckIt).
>Not. Autocad is processor heavy program and better unload that FP to
>that coprocessor result in even powerful system when using the
>suitable s/w like autocad.
 
IIRC, Autocad *requires* a mathco, so one has a choice of a) buying a mathco
(used to be $$$), b) running with an emulator, or c) not running autocad.

As to whether the system will run faster with or without a software mathco
emulator, I must admit, it would seem obvious that an emulator would only
slow the system down (by using more Cpu time to handle the emulator than
going straight to the CPU -- kinda like buying direct from the mfr and
eliminating the middleman) but I cannot say that that's true without testing it.

The FRANKE87 program may be really good at what it does, enough to make a
difference when compared to Intel's idea of FP math. I have to say that if
Merch says he measured the difference and the emulator is faster, I'll take
his word for it until proven wrong.


--------------------------------------------------------------------- O-

Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad
sinasohn_at_crl.com that none but madmen know."
Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates
San Francisco, California http://www.crl.com/~sinasohn/
Received on Tue Oct 21 1997 - 18:08:14 BST

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