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How much faster is the NS32332 than the NS32032?  Like any answer concerning
computers, it depends upon what environment and what tasks your talking
about.  First, where does the speed come from?  

National obtained roughly 3 times the performance for the NS32332 based 
upon better architecture, faster clock, and better compiler technology.  
For the purpose of this discussion, let's limit the discussion to the
first.  Better microcode, faster 32 bit address calculation, better
interupt latency, and better hardware interface (burst mode memory)
are the factors.

As to the results, presently we have measured the following performance
increase for the 32332 compared to the 32032 running the same code and same 
clock (10MHz).

	dhrystone	1.3x
	sieve		1.4x
	puzzle		1.6x
	EDN's		1.25x

Overall I am seeing and average of about 50% faster, with some benchmarks 
as low as 20% and some as much as 90% faster.  The state of optimization 
impacts the performance difference with less optimized code giving greater 
difference as might be expected.  National is working on compilers supporting
faster code by optimizing the instructions used and by using registers 
more intelligently.  Nicknamed CTP for compiler technologies program, 
the compilers are a part of the move to UNIX V. They are due to be released
later this year and I have used both Fortran 77 and C.  I am still working 
on full characterization with a very large number of benchmarks, but in 
general with the new CTP compilers and the higher clock rate (15MHz), the 
overall improvement is pretty dramatic.  

The dhrystones have measured at 2800 dhry/sec on a DB332 board at 15MHz
with code generated by the NSC CTP compiler on the Dhrystone Version 1.1.
The board and the V.2 Unix are production released but the compiler is still 
in QA.  This compares to  855 on the 032 with older compilers. Some of our
customers had done some optimizations and got slightly higher numbers with
dhrystones such as Sequent (up to around 1200-1300).

Floating point intensive programs show less improvement because the 32081 
is still being used, but even so there is some improvement because of the 
non-floating point instruction mix and the higher clock rate (15MHz).  The 
32081 is slower because of the older 16 bit slave protocal used but still 
runs competitively in many floating point benchmarks like the LINPAC.
Whetstones run about 25% faster on the 332 at the same clock frequency with 
the 081.  Early next year, there will be a NS32381 FPU that uses the 32 bit
slave protocal available on the 32332 and some instruction improvements.  
Whetstone performance will of course climb when the new FPU is available
with the expected increase to be about 2 to 1.  As is NSC's policy on the
NS32000 family, the 32381 will be code compatible with the 32081.