
2009 Microchip Technology Inc.
DS39636D-page 81
PIC18F2X1X/4X1X
7.0
8 x 8 HARDWARE MULTIPLIER
7.1
Introduction
All PIC18 devices include an 8 x 8 hardware multiplier
as part of the ALU. The multiplier performs an unsigned
operation and yields a 16-bit result that is stored in the
product register pair, PRODH:PRODL. The multiplier’s
operation does not affect any flags in the STATUS
register.
Making multiplication a hardware operation allows it to
be completed in a single instruction cycle. This has the
advantages of higher computational throughput and
reduced code size for multiplication algorithms and
allows the PIC18 devices to be used in many applica-
tions previously reserved for digital signal processors.
A comparison of various hardware and software
multiply operations, along with the savings in memory
7.2
Operation
Example 7-1 shows the instruction sequence for an 8 x 8
unsigned multiplication. Only one instruction is required
when one of the arguments is already loaded in the
WREG register.
multiplication. To account for the sign bits of the argu-
ments, each argument’s Most Significant bit (MSb) is
tested and the appropriate subtractions are done.
EXAMPLE 7-1:
8 x 8 UNSIGNED
MULTIPLY ROUTINE
EXAMPLE 7-2:
8 x 8 SIGNED MULTIPLY
ROUTINE
TABLE 7-1:
PERFORMANCE COMPARISON FOR VARIOUS MULTIPLY OPERATIONS
MOVF
ARG1, W
;
MULWF
ARG2
; ARG1 * ARG2 ->
; PRODH:PRODL
MOVF
ARG1, W
MULWF
ARG2
; ARG1 * ARG2 ->
; PRODH:PRODL
BTFSC
ARG2, SB
; Test Sign Bit
SUBWF
PRODH, F
; PRODH = PRODH
;
- ARG1
MOVF
ARG2, W
BTFSC
ARG1, SB
; Test Sign Bit
SUBWF
PRODH, F
; PRODH = PRODH
;
- ARG2
Routine
Multiply Method
Program
Memory
(Words)
Cycles
(Max)
Time
@ 40 MHz
@ 10 MHz
@ 4 MHz
8 x 8 unsigned
Without hardware multiply
13
69
6.9
μs27.6 μs69 μs
Hardware multiply
1
100 ns
400 ns
1
μs
8 x 8 signed
Without hardware multiply
33
91
9.1
μs36.4 μs91 μs
Hardware multiply
6
600 ns
2.4
μs6 μs
16 x 16 unsigned
Without hardware multiply
21
242
24.2
μs96.8 μs242 μs
Hardware multiply
28
2.8
μs
11.2
μs28 μs
16 x 16 signed
Without hardware multiply
52
254
25.4
μs
102.6
μs254 μs
Hardware multiply
35
40
4.0
μs16.0 μs40 μs