The z390 v1.4.01 release is now available for download from www.z390.org with 11 new ASSIST and 226 new z10 instructions. For details and download link for Windows XP/Vista and Linux visit: http://z390.sourceforge.net/z390_Download_Archive.htm Highlights of this release include: 1. The ASSIST extended instructions which simplify I/O for use by students learning mainframe assembler have been added at the request of Northern Illinois University representatives attending SHARE. See z390 ASSIST online documentation here: http://z390.sourceforge.net/z390_ASSIST_Support.htm A new sub-directory named assist with regression test and demo programs has been added. To run the first ASSIST demo program enter the command: ASSIST assist\DEMOAST1
2. The 226 new machine instructions for the IBM z10 mainframe announced on February 26, 2008 during SHARE have been added. Initial z390 testing indicates that the new z10 compare and branch instructions can improve z390 performance by 15% compared to equivalent compare instructions followed by branch on condition instructions. The previous support for move with optional specifications has been expanded to support lengths greater than 4k. The new translate and test extended instructions support interruptible test translation in forward or backward direction for any length using any one of 4 different translate table sizes 256, 512, 64k, or 128k. The new IBM Principles of Operation V6 PDF manual describing these new z10 instructions plus all the previous z9 instructions supported by z390 is here: http://publibfp.boulder.ibm.com/epubs/pdf/dz9zr006.pdf Examples of all these instructions can be found in the optional rt download directory with z390 regression test programs: a. rt\test\TESTINS1.MLC – assemble and verify assembled formats for 1095 instructions b. rt\test\TESTINS2.MLC – test program state instructions up through z9 c. rt\test\TESTFP1.MLC – test HFP and BFP 32, 64, and 128 bit floating point instructions d. rt\test\TESTDFP1.MLC – test DFP 32, 64, and 128 decimal floating point instructions e. rt\test\TESTINS3.MLC – test new z10 problem state instructions 3. The first z390 proto-type millicode instruction SQXTR has been added to perform DFP extended precision square root since this instruction was not included in the new z10 instructions. There are existing HFP SQXR and BFP SQXBR corresponding instructions. The SQXTR instruction is implemented using macro mac\SQXTR.MAC which generates code to call linklib\SQXTR.OBJ statically linked CSECT with instructions to calculate DFP extended precision square root using DFP instructions. For example usage see the ZMFACC Mainframe Assembler Coding Contest problem #12 solution 3 for DFP extended precision standard deviation calculation. To assemble, link, and execute the DFP solution using SQXTR Millicode type instruction enter the command: ASMLG mfacc\P12DSH3. To see other contest problems and solutions submitted including new problem #18 performance benchmark of new z10 compare and branch instructions, visit the contest website: http://z390.sourceforge.net/z390_Mainframe_Assemble_Coding_Contest.htm 4. The z390 linker has been enhanced to automatically search in the linklib directory for unresolved external references when the autolink option is on which is the default. This is used to support the above SQXTR proto-type millicode instruction code. 5. This full release includes the VSAM KSDS insert support using AVL balanced trees that was first released in PTF v1.4.00e. For the online documentation on z390 VSAM support visit: http://z390.sourceforge.net/z390_VSAM_Compatible_Assembler_Support.htm 6. There are also a number of bug fixes in this release resulting from RPI problem reports from z390 users (keep those bug reports coming): a. The macro processor has been updated to correct computed AGO pseudo code bug potentially causing error when the pseudo code is executed repeatedly. b. The macro processor has been updated to support EXEC CICS statements with comments c. Linux BAT command processor written in Perl has been updated to support usage of the ECHO and IF EXISTS commands in BAT files. d. Correct the emulator to handle negative value in RX type instruction x2 or b2 register or RS type instruction b2 register which effectively subtracts value from the calculated target address or shift count prior to turning off the high bits of effective address (previously the high bits were turned off before subtraction occurred). e. A number of fixes have been added for floating point support and the corresponding regression tests have been updated. It is also worth noting that there is a pending RPI 821 targeted for v1.4.01a PTF release to correct z390 internal HFP DH caching design flaw. The format for DH 64 bit type values will be changed from using Java native double value to using BigDecimal class in order to prevent loss of 4 bits of mantissa precision since double has 52 bit mantissa versus the required 56 bits. It will be a bit slower but it will be correct and will also support pending RPI 767 to fully support HFP un- normalized instructions (all results are currently normalized). f. A side benefit of implementing the new z10 rotate and select bits instructions is that the existing RLL and RLLG rotate left instructions have been updated to use new faster rotate functions which simply perform a left shift, right shift, and an OR to accomplish the rotate for int or long java variable. The result should be a significant improvement in speed for RLLG. 7. Finally this version has been built and tested on J2SE 1.6.0 update 5. For new users please remove all prior versions of J2SE and all previous z390 releases including deleting the install directory which may have generated files not deleted by the InstallShield uninstall process. Then install J2SE 1.6.0_05 runtime and z390 v1.4.01. The J2SE JDK is only required if you want to recompile java sources and rebuild the single z390.jar executable file. Many thanks to all those who have contributed to this release by testing PTF releases and reporting any bugs found. There will no doubt be some additional bugs resulting from all the new code in this release which has increased the z390.jar file from 328k for v1.4.00e to 340k for v1.4.01. Please send any RPI bug reports using the online form: http://z390.sourceforge.net/z390_VSAM_Compatible_Assembler_Support.htm If you would like to view the actual Java code for any of these new instructions, you can use notepad or your favorite editor to open the z390 emulator source directory file src\pz390.java and search for the name of any instruction such as “TRTE” etc. As always any and all comments and feedback are welcome. Don Higgins mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://don.higgins.net ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
