Re: [f-cpu] random number generator

[ben franchuk <bfranchuk@jetnet.ab.ca>]

Yann Guidon wrote:

> i understand, but the worry is to make
> a really efficient benchmark that requires relatively
> few patterns to cover most bugs.
I am confused here. What kind of bugs do you wish to uncover?
If you did the hardware design correctly it would have no bugs.
The corect way to design the hardware is to have redundant
test logic for hardware bugs or design testing. This
I don't think is possble yet using a high level design
langauge becuase the macro blocks are not designed for this
redundant logic or the compiler removes the redudant logic.

> For example, MR's mltiplier is a really heavy stuff
> that could run tens of hours, while a few minutes
> are only available in common cases, and there are
> other units to test.
I keep thinking of the pentium math bug!

> low-entropy data can be used first to check
> dumb errors, ie using a very simple polynomial LFSR.
> Then the rest (like rounding error behaviour and more
> sophisticated stuffs including statistical measures) will
> need a high entropy pseudo-random generator.
Good for quick testing but the hardware needs to be built first.


> YG


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