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In my work I deal with different micro-controllers, micro-processors and DSP processors. Many of them have 24-bits registers and counters.
I know how to use them, this is not my question.
My question is why do they have 24-bits register! why not make it 32 bit? and as I know, it is not a problem of size, because the registers are already 32bits, but have maximum of 0xFFFFFF.
Do this provide easier HW implementation? Faster calculations? Or it is just "hmmm, lets put 24-bits registers to make the job of programmers more hard"?
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The term SWORD is sometimes used to describe a 24-bit data type with the S prefix referring to sesqui. The range of unsigned integers that can be represented in 24 bits is 0 to 16,777,215 (FFFFFF16 in hexadecimal). The range of signed integers that can be represented in 24 bits is −8,388,608 to 8,388,607.
24-bit audio is often sampled at 96kHz or 192kHz; those 24 bits can represent 16.7m discrete loudness values. By contrast MP3s are compressed by an algorithm that throws away parts of the sound that long laborious testing determined could not actually be heard.
A color image is typically represented by a bit depth ranging from 8 to 24 or higher. With a 24-bit image, the bits are often divided into three groupings: 8 for red, 8 for green, and 8 for blue. Combinations of those bits are used to represent other colors. A 24-bit image offers 16.7 million (2 24 ) color values.
My guess is that most DSP applications simply don't need 32-bits. Digital audio uses 24-bits fidelity the most. Implementing 32-bits would require more transistors thus would result in higher costs.
Why would 32 bits be easier for the programmer?
Also, you state that the registers have a maximum of 0xFFFFFF, which makes them 24-bits by definition, not 32-bits as you suggest.
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