Patent · US Expired

Fast adder/subtractor for signed floating point numbers

US6175851A · kind A · utility

15Cited by
5References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 6, 1998
Grant dateJan 16, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 6, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F7/485
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system for adding or subtracting numbers in signed floating point notation performs exponent and mantissa handling operations in parallel. The system includes a comparator, for determining a greater-magnitude and a lesser magnitude floating point number, operating in parallel with a selector for performing a one's complement and single-bit shift on a mantissa portion of the lesser-magnitude floating point number. The system further includes a remaining shift circuit, for determining an additional amount by which the lesser-magnitude mantissa portion should be shifted; and a shifter. The system also includes an absolute add circuit, for determining whether an absolute addition or an absolute subtraction is to be performed, and a single-bit shift circuit, for indicating whether a shift of at least one bit is required.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.