Traps are imprecise, and it is not always possible to determine which instruction trig- gered a trap or the operands of that instruction.

An underflow trap produces a zero.

A conversion to integer trap with an integer overflow produces the low-order bits of the integer.

The result of any other operation that traps is UNPREDICTABLE.

When /SU or /SV mode is specified:

Arithmetic is performed on all IEEE values, both finite and non-finite.

Alpha systems support all IEEE features except inexact exception (which requires /SUI or /SVI):

The IEEE standard specifies a default where exceptions do not fault or trap.In com- bination with the FPCR, this mode allows disabling exceptions and producing IEEE compliant nontrapping results. See Sections 4.7.7.10 and 4.7.7.11.

Each Alpha operating system provides a way to optionally signal IEEE floating- point exceptions. This mode enables the IEEE status flags that keep a record of each exception that is encountered. An Alpha operating system uses the IEEE float- ing-point control (FP_C) quadword, described in Section B.2.1, to maintain the IEEE status flags and to enable calls to IEEE user signal handlers.

Exceptions signaled in this mode are precise and an application can locate the instruc- tion that caused the exception, along with its operand values. See Section 4.7.7.3.

When /SUI or /SVI mode is specified:

Arithmetic is performed on all IEEE values, both finite and non-finite.

Inexact exceptions are supported, along with all the other IEEE features supported by the /SU or /SV mode.

A summary of the IEEE trapping modes, instruction notation, and their meaning follows in Table 4–9:

Table 4–9: Summary of IEEE Trapping Modes

Trap Mode

Notation

Meaning

 

 

 

Underflow disabled and

No qualifier

Imprecise

inexact disabled

 

 

Underflow enabled and

/U

Imprecise

inexact disabled

/SU

Precise exception completion

Underflow enabled and

/SUI

Precise exception completion

inexact enabled

 

 

Integer overflow disabled and

No qualifier

Imprecise

inexact disabled

 

 

4–72Alpha Architecture Handbook

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Compaq ECQD2KCTE manual Summary of Ieee Trapping Modes Trap Mode Notation Meaning, Sui