Yes, they are types of multiplier. A hardware multiplier implements the multiplication in hardware -- there's actual gates on the chip to do the thing. A software multiplier uses other operations to implement multiplication, and is much slower.
No problems about the SW version, it makes a multiplication as you would do on paper (just in binary).
There are two main ways to look at a HW multiplier, either does the CPU just have multiply instructions, or does really need to have dedicated logic for the multiplication.
The AVR has the last, but the first chips with MUL instructions did it as the SW but whit a sequencer (like 8086 68000 etc.).
And even a cortex M0 can be implemented without dedicated hardware (but all I know of do it in 1 clk)
Also, the HW multiplier can either be part of the CPU, in which case it appears to the programmer as one or more assembly instructions, or it can be a separate peripheral, often able to execute it's own separate instruction stream.
For example, some chips from the Texas Instruments MSP430 family have a multiplier peripheral.
The AVR clone LGT8F328P from Logic Green has both a CPU multiplier similar to the ATMegas, and a more powerful multiplier/divider peripheral.
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TopHard Ware and Soft Ware
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TopOhhh, i thought that they are types of multiplier.
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TopHW = HARDWARE
SW = SOFTWARE
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TopYes, they are types of multiplier. A hardware multiplier implements the multiplication in hardware -- there's actual gates on the chip to do the thing. A software multiplier uses other operations to implement multiplication, and is much slower.
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TopThe world is not that simple.
No problems about the SW version, it makes a multiplication as you would do on paper (just in binary).
There are two main ways to look at a HW multiplier, either does the CPU just have multiply instructions, or does really need to have dedicated logic for the multiplication.
The AVR has the last, but the first chips with MUL instructions did it as the SW but whit a sequencer (like 8086 68000 etc.).
And even a cortex M0 can be implemented without dedicated hardware (but all I know of do it in 1 clk)
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TopJust like a Hardware UART implements its functionality in hardware, but a Software UART is all code that you write.
Or a Hardware Floating-Point Unit (FPU) performs floating-point calculations in dedicated hardware - as opposed to just using software libraries.
etc, etc, ...
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TopAlso, the HW multiplier can either be part of the CPU, in which case it appears to the programmer as one or more assembly instructions, or it can be a separate peripheral, often able to execute it's own separate instruction stream.
For example, some chips from the Texas Instruments MSP430 family have a multiplier peripheral.
The AVR clone LGT8F328P from Logic Green has both a CPU multiplier similar to the ATMegas, and a more powerful multiplier/divider peripheral.
So there is lots of variety out there.
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