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double precision calculations in single precision code
- From: Branko Drevenšek <branko dot drevensek at gmail dot com>
- To: newlib at sourceware dot org
- Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2012 13:30:38 +0200
- Subject: double precision calculations in single precision code
Hi.
We have Newlib ported to our architecture. One of configurations that we
support is hardware single precision and soft-float double precision.
I have noticed unexpected double precision soft-float function calls in
simple code like x = sinf(y), where both x and y are single precision.
I have noticed that Newlib sinef function (libm/mathfp/sf_sine.c)
contains lines like:
/* Calculate the exponent. */
if (y < 0.0)
N = (int) (y * ONE_OVER_PI - 0.5);
else
N = (int) (y * ONE_OVER_PI + 0.5);
While y * ONE_OVER_PI gets calculated in single precision, that +- 0.5
causes the result of multiplication being converted to double and then
addition is done in double using soft-float. For our case this has big
performance penalty and also requires double soft-float functions to be
linked in, causing binary to grow.
Is 0.5 (instead of 0.5f) used by purpose or is that just wrong (and
needs fixing)? Where did those math. functions originate from?
Best regards,
Branko Drevensek