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Subject: Re: ROMbox for fm recorders?
From: BlueChip (cs_bluechip_at_webtribe.net)
Date: 2004-07-22

> > Will I get slapped for mentioning that you can gain about 7K
> > by replacing the bigger of the two random number generators?
>
>Huh? Where should that be hiding?
>
>Jörg

Errr, sorry dude, I don't understand the question.

The (mighty and impressive) Marseinne Twister can be replaced with the
Linear Congruity algorithm I have implemeted as the bc_rnd() plugin library.

FULL docs (explanations, bibliography, etc) on the algorithm I used are
included in the zip file on my site.

Be warned though, I use a ">>8" at one point (else the numbers are just not
random enough ...I like a specific pattern in my random numbers - LOL)

Although the cpu supports >>8, I *THINK* the compiler still implements a
nasty macro ...but I actually spotted that on a differnt disassemble, and
have yet to check the actual bc_rnd library code itself.

As such, if you implemented such a scheme, it may be worth doing it in
assembler.

Because of the >>8, the numbers are only 24bit ...but I questioned how
often I would ever want a random number in the range
zero...to...more-than-16-million.

The Starfield demo (requesting iirc about 200 random numbers per frame)
was, in part, written to test the algorithm. Feel free to confirm my results.

Someone said a loonngg time ago that it had been rejected due to ack of
random'ness, and yes, without the >>8 the sequence is thoroughly unacceptable

WRT assembler: If you look at the line() function in the bc_gfx lib, you
will see how (thanks to amiconn) I have optimised the abs() function
...essentially, both C and assembler are provided and the 'right' one is
compiled.

For such tiny bits of code (and maybe bigger), *I* believe that it is
acceptable to offer optimised and unoptimised solutions... If another
processor comes along - everything is fine, and the coder has the option to
add a #ifdef NEW_CPU if he does not like the result C gives him.

Hope I covered what you needed to know,

BC

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