Writing Device Drivers

SPARC Multiply and Divide Instructions

The Version 7 SPARC processors do not have multiply or divide instructions. These instructions are emulated in software and should be avoided. Because a driver cannot determine whether it is running on a Version 7, Version 8, or Version 9 processor, intensive integer multiplication and division should be avoided if possible. Instead, use bitwise left and right shifts to multiply and divide by powers of two.