GSL Libraries on the SPU

Question

Hi,

has anyone succeed in compiling/porting/finding the GNU scientific libraries for the SPU?

IF not, do similar libraries or wrappers for the SPU exist? or, how would you just port some of the functions?

Thanks

Answer 1

Might be worth checking this thread:

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=273693

Answer 2

I started that thread :)

Answer 3

Mercury Computers sells a closed source scientific library for the SPEs called SAL constructed from hand tuned assembly. They also sell the source to a functionally equivalent C implementation called CSAL that is un-optimized but portable to any platform with a compiler. This is pretty useful as you can do quite a bit of prototyping on whatever architecture is the most convenient for you. SAL doesn't cover everything that is in the GNU Scientific Library but its good start and its runs just about as fast as possible.

I don't have any experience with the GNU Scientific Library but it doesn't look like it uses any vector intrinsics or anything that would make it especially non-portable. I think the only problem you are going to have is with all the mallocs you might blow out the Local Store if your data sizes are too big. Also, keep in mind that the more space you take up with text (libraries and your code) the less room you have for data.