[PD] Pd 0.49 64b windows processing question (+ pd~)

IOhannes m zmoelnig zmoelnig at iem.at
Thu Oct 25 09:46:27 CEST 2018


On 24.10.18 21:11, João Pais wrote:
> Hello list,
> 
> I just noticed that pd 0.49 comes packed with 64b. I was interested to
> ask what are currently the biggest advantages. I imagine that lots of
> added memory capacity; but for example, is it still limited to only one
> processor?

64bit binaries are just this: binaries that can run natively on a 64bit OS.
(read: it has nothing to do with the ability to use multiple CPUs, the
precision of numbers within Pd, or the bugginess of your patches ;-)).

the only changes the user might notice when running a 64bit binary of Pd:
- Pd can use 64bit pointers to address memory. that means it could use
about  18.4 exabytes (provided you have a computer equipped with that),
instead of a meagre 4GB as is the case with 32bit applications (and
Windows would reservere another 512MB, so you could only use 3.5GB)
- Pd can use more features (registerse, instructions) of the CPU,
potentially speeding up the execution (regardless of the number of CPUs)
- Pd can use more modern frameworks provided by the OS. iirc, there are
some ASIO drivers which can only be accessed from 64bit applications.

> 
> I also notice that pd~ is in windows already for a while, I think I'll
> test it soon for the next version of my porting of Henke's granulator. I
> would like to know: is it guaranteed that parallel processes will run in
> different processors, or a bit of a luck game managed by the operating
> system?

the actual CPU assignment of a process is managed by the OS.
this is actually not a bad thing.
since the OS does CPU management anyhow, you might end up ensuring that
a process is running on the same CPU as another process that - by mere
chance - requested to run on that very CPU...
also, if your hardware happens to only have a single CPU, it would be
rather annoying if pd~ would insist on running on a CPU#3.

gafmsdf
IOhannes

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 833 bytes
Desc: OpenPGP digital signature
URL: <http://lists.puredata.info/pipermail/pd-list/attachments/20181025/269f8d2d/attachment.sig>


More information about the Pd-list mailing list