Subject: Re: NetBSD/vax 1.6 pkgsrc perl build?
To: None <port-vax@netbsd.org>
From: der Mouse <mouse@Rodents.Montreal.QC.CA>
List: port-vax
Date: 11/03/2002 04:25:56
> The F_float is a 32-bits.  It's sign magnitude number with a sign
> bit, 7-bits of exponent, and 24-bits for the fractional part.  The
> range is given as 0.29x10^-38 through 1.7x10^38.

7 bits of exponent gives you a range of only 1.08e-19 through 9.22e18
(2^-63 to 2^63); you need 8 bits of exponent to get the range of
0.29e-38 to 1.7e38.

I believe it's 1 bit sign, 8 bits exponent, 24 bits mantissa - but that
24 bits includes the hidden bit, which is not actually stored.

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