Are there any programs out now that utilizes the SPE's?

[Herogen]

Hi!

I'am wondering if there are any programs that uses the SPE's to speed up things. It is strange that there are so many efforts for breaking the security model of the PS3 to get backups running and to access the RSX under Linux, but using the SPE's is well documented by IBM, so why does nobody use them? They can be very fast at things like video-encoding (e.g. if handbrake would be ported to cell, whooohooo!!)


Or am i looking on the wrong sites? Where to find those cell-ported code so?

[PeiXePT]

Breaking Security - for this you dont need to program especifically for SPE unless they have some bug or security hole (we dont know that yet)...

RSX - im not sure but under linux (for PS3) you cant use all SPEs... :/

programming for SPE is simple: spu_create_thread() and CELL does the rest... keep in mind that in CELL arch you shouldnt create more threads than SPEs so for PS3 its 6 i think.

[RyLoS2000]

I think the usable SPEs are 7...i've read it on PS3 specs.

[PeiXePT]

PS3 uses 7 of 8 SPEs i know... but under GameOS! You can acess all SPEs under Linux (OtherOS)? Ive read somewhere that Linux system can only see 1 PPE and 1 SPE but im not sure...

[RexVF5]

AFAIK in Linux you can use 6 SPEs. GameOS can use 7.

[kiasyd]

This architecture is quite new, so most software developers are still getting the hang of it. Give it some time... :-)

[laarka]

In linux you can access 6 SPEs, as the last 1 SPE is used by the Hypervisor.

The CPU originally has 8 SPEs in total, but one is disabled to allow higher yield rates when producing the CPUs (if one SPE is defective, the CPU can be used for the PS3, if all 8 are working the CPU can be used for IBMs expensive CELL based blade servers etc).

I guess its a way for Sony to cut costs, and for the factory to get more usable silicon.

[pompomgirl]

I've read somewhere that OpenCV has SPE specific code for the processor used in the PS3. If I have understood well, OpenCV is a library that allows you to do sophisticated image processing...

[naharf]

http://www.802.11mercenary.net/ps3-wepcrack/
a project that uses the cell processor to crack wep keys

would be nice to see an aircrack version that is optimized for the ps3. wpa-cracking is just to slow on my normal hardware.

[enemyofreality6]

Originally Posted by laarka The CPU originally has 8 SPEs in total, but one is disabled to allow higher yield rates when producing the CPUs (if one SPE is defective, the CPU can be used for the PS3, if all 8 are working the CPU can be used for IBMs expensive CELL based blade servers etc).

Do you know if it's possible to enable the eigth core? I suppose it's not that easy...