Guide to Cell Broadband Engine Programming Documentation Version 1.
© Copyright Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., 2008 All Rights Reserved “SONY” and “ ” are registered trademarks of Sony Corporation. Cell Broadband Engine is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. Other company, product and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others. All information contained in this document is subject to change without notice.
Guide to Cell/B.E. Programming Documentation Guide to Cell Broadband Engine Programming Documentation Introduction This Guide is designed to help you navigate the programming documentation for the Cell Broadband Engine™ (Cell/B.E.) processor. The documents are available on the public Sony Computer Entertainment website (http://cell.scei.co.jp/e_download.html) and the IBM website (http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/power/cell/).
Guide to Cell/B.E. Programming Documentation The PPE (Figure 1 and Figure 2) is a general-purpose, 64-bit PowerPC RISC processor that runs the operating system(s) for all applications and external interfaces on the Cell/B.E. It operates on scalars or vectors containing 8- to 64-bit fixed-point or single- or double-precision floating-point data types.
Guide to Cell/B.E. Programming Documentation General Conventions of Microprocessor and Cell/B.E. Documentation The Cell/B.E. documentation set, in general, observes industry-wide conventions with respect to microprocessor documentation. Specifically, document titles have the following content implications: Architecture – An architecture document is a specification of requirements for a microprocessor or computer system.
Guide to Cell/B.E. Programming Documentation Introductory Documents CBE Programming Tutorial Cell Broadband Engine Public Information and Downloads http://cell.scei.co.jp/e_download.html Length 190 pages. Audience C/C++ programmers interested in developing applications or libraries for the Cell/B.E. The document is not intended for programmers developing device drivers, compilers, or operating systems. Content A short overview of the Cell/B.E.
Guide to Cell/B.E. Programming Documentation CBE Programming Handbook Cell Broadband Engine Public Information and Downloads http://cell.scei.co.jp/e_download.html Length 877 pages. Audience C/C++ and assembly-language programmers interested in developing applications, libraries, middleware, drivers, compilers, or operating systems for the Cell/B.E. Content A general programming user guide and reference for the Cell/B.E.
Guide to Cell/B.E. Programming Documentation General Cell/B.E. Programming Documents CBE Registers Cell Broadband Engine Public Information and Downloads http://cell.scei.co.jp/e_download.html Length 358 pages. Audience Assembly-language programmers writing application or system programs. Content Hardware and software details of how the problem-state (user) and privilege-state (supervisor) registers operate. The register fields are illustrated, bit-by-bit, and their functions are described.
Guide to Cell/B.E. Programming Documentation C/C++ Language Extensions for CBE Architecture Cell Broadband Engine Public Information and Downloads http://cell.scei.co.jp/e_download.html Length 150 pages. Audience C/C++ application and system programmers. Content Extensions (intrinsics) to the C and C++ languages that allow software developers to access hardware features not accessible (or not easily accessible) from C or C++.
Guide to Cell/B.E. Programming Documentation SIMD Math Library Specification for CBE Architecture Cell Broadband Engine Public Information and Downloads http://cell.scei.co.jp/e_download.html Length 40 pages. Audience C/C++ application programmers interested in developing single-instruction, multiple-data (SIMD) applications. Content A math library that takes advantage of the SIMD instructions supported by the PPE and SPEs.
Guide to Cell/B.E. Programming Documentation PPE Programming Documents PowerPC Microprocessor Family: The Programming Environments Manual for 64-Bit Microprocessors Cell Broadband Engine Public Information and Downloads http://cell.scei.co.jp/e_download.html Length 657 pages. Audience Assembly-language programmers writing application or system programs for the PPE. Content An in-depth description of the 64-bit PowerPC Instruction Set Architecture (ISA), which is implemented by the PPE.
Guide to Cell/B.E. Programming Documentation ™ PowerPC Microprocessor Family: Vector/SIMD Multimedia Extension Technology Programming Environments Manual Cell Broadband Engine Public Information and Downloads http://cell.scei.co.jp/e_download.html Length 317 pages. Audience Assembly-language programmers writing application programs for the PPE. Content The PowerPC Vector/SIMD Multimedia Extension instruction set architecture (ISA), and how it relates to the 64-bit PowerPC ISA.
Guide to Cell/B.E. Programming Documentation The PowerPC™ Compiler Writer’s Guide Cell Broadband Engine Public Information and Downloads http://cell.scei.co.jp/e_download.html Length 264 pages. Audience Although the title indicates an audience of compiler writers, the document is useful to all assembly-language programmers who wish to optimize performance of application or system programs for the PPE.
Guide to Cell/B.E. Programming Documentation SPE Programming Documents SPU Instruction Set Architecture Cell Broadband Engine Public Information and Downloads http://cell.scei.co.jp/e_download.html Length 278 pages. Audience Assembly-language programmers writing application or system programs for the SPE. Content The instruction set architecture (ISA) implemented by the SPEs, including descriptions of instruction functions, instruction and data formats, interrupts, and storage-access synchronization.
Guide to Cell/B.E. Programming Documentation SPU Assembly Language Specification Cell Broadband Engine Public Information and Downloads http://cell.scei.co.jp/e_download.html Length 31 pages. Audience Assembly-language programmers writing application or system programs for the SPE. Content The grammar, lexicon, register usage, and related details for an SPE assembly language.
Guide to Cell/B.E. Programming Documentation Appendix – Programming Links This appendix provides links to public websites containing information about programming the Sony Computer Entertainment PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3) platform and the Cell/B.E.: PLAYSTATION®3 Websites: − − − − Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) PLAYSTATION®3 Developer Network: http://www.scedev.net Game Developers Conference (GDC): http://devevents.scedev.net/gdc Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE): http://www.technology.scee.
