AltiVec...

AltiVec is a new and very exciting technology. It's so new in fact that information and tools are very thin on the ground, and yet it promises to revolutionize Macintosh computing in a way unimaginable just one or two years ago.

...and Fantasm

Fantasm 5.30 is the first version to support AltiVec instructions. In conjunction with Apple's AltiVec emulator (or if you're really lucky, a real G4 AltiVec enabled processor!) this will allow Fantasm users to experiment with this new technology for the first time.

This page
This page is our "hitching post" for all things AltiVec.
Please note that some items on this page are currently just place holders. Over the coming weeks this page will be updated as new resources come on-line.

AltiVec Resources

• What is AltiVec? What's a vector processor? Is it important? (Overview)
• Introduction to AltiVec assembly language (Specifics)
• Holger Bettag has written an informative article on AltiVec technology you may find interesting.
• Fantasm 5.30 with AltiVec support. Includes updated documentation. (NEW)
• Quicky AltiVec example
• MacsBug with AltiVec support
• AltiVec Emulator. At time of writing 1.0d4 is current.
• Tips for using Apple's AltiVec Emulator - installation and problems
• PowerMac debugger 2.2d3 - Contains AltiVec disassembler and will work fine with Fant530.
• AltiVec Programmers Environment Manual (PEM). Great write up of instructions but this is a preliminary draft and as such contains many errors.
• AltiVec support in MrC. This document as well as detailing changes to MrC[pp] to support AltiVec, also details the run-time architectural changes necessary for passing vector sized parameters. Note the use of r31 for those of you currently using this register in your programs.

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AltiVec Emulator Installation and running Tips

Apple supplies the emulator as an extension. To install simply drop it on your System folder and reboot.

Version 1.00d4 will not run on a development version of OS 8.5 to date (19 Sept 98). It will run under OS8.1.

The emulator will not work on 601 machines, so if you have a first generation PowerMac or a 7200/8200/7500(with 601) you're out of luck; 603's 604's and G3's should be fine. We use an 8500 (OS8.1) for development of Fant 5.30 and have sucessfully installed and run the emulator on this machine.

The emulator (1.00d4) freezes when asked to process an indexed load into a vector register where the effective address computes to an invalid address - i.e. non existent address. We have reported this to Apple.

Other than that it runs fine.
SB 190998.

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