Generalized Signed-Digit

Numbers
Dr. Arunachalam V
Associate Professor, SENSE
A taxonomy of redundant and non-redundant positional
number system

Digit set [− , ]
= + +1−
Four encodings for the BSD digit set [-1,1]
 Hybrid signed-digit numbers
Hybrid signed-digit representations strikes a balance between algorithmic
speed and implementation cost by introducing redundancy in selected
positions only.
For example, standard binary representation may be used with BSD digits
allowed in every third position.

pi – position sums for standard digit set [0,2] and for BSD [-2,2]
The pi in BSD are then broken into an interim sum wi and transfer ti+1 , both in [-1,1]
 Hybrid signed-digit numbers
• The worst-case carry propagation spans a single group, beginning with
BSD digit that produces a transfer digit in [-1,1] and ending with the next
higher BSD position.
• Here the group size, g = 3.
• Larger group size reduces HW complexity, but adds to the carry
propagation delay in the worst case; hence, this scheme offers a trade-off
between speed and cost.
• Hybrid signed-digit representation with uniform spacing of BSD positions
can be viewed as a special case of GSD systems.
• The numbers in 3-digit groups starting fromthe right end leads to radix-8
GSD system with digit set [-4,7]: i.e. digit values from (-100)2 to (111)2.
 Carry free addition algorithms – GSD numbers
1. Compute the position sums = + .
2. Divide each pi into a transfer and an interim sum = −
3. Add the incoming transfers to obtain the sum digits = + .
Let us assume that the transfer digits are from the digit set [-λ,µ].
To ensure that the last step leads to no new transfer, the following condition
must be satisfied:

λ≥ / −1 ≥ / −1
 Choosing the transfer digit

Generate λ + + 2 number of constants Cj , −λ ≤ ≤ +1

Compare pi against all Cj ,
The transfer digit taken to be j if and inly if ≤ ≤
Example
λ≥ ⇒1

µ≥1⇒1
 Limitation of the carry-free addition algorithm
for GSD numbers
• If and only if one of the following sets of conditions is satisfied:
a. r > 2, ρ ≥ 3
b. r>2, ρ = 2, α ≠ 1 β ≠ 1.
• Therefore , for r = 2, ρ = 1 or ρ = 2 with α = 1 or β = 1 , a limited-carry
addition algorithm is available.
 Limited-carry addition algorithm for GSD numbers
1. Compute the position sums = + .
2. Compare each pi to a constant to determine whether = "low" or "ℎ ℎ"
( is a binary range estimate for ).
3. Given , divide into a transfer and an interim sum = −
4. Add the incoming transfers to obtain the sum digits = + .
Detection of overflow in GSD addition
 Reference
1. Chapter 3.4 to 3.6 of Behrooz Parhami, “Computer Arithmetic:
Algorithms and Hardware Design”, (2/e) Oxford University Press 2015.
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RESIDUE NUMBER SYSTEM