System and method for performing decimal division

Abstract

A method for performing decimal division including receiving a scaled divisor and dividend and storing a subset of the multiples of the scaled divisor. An accumulated quotient is initialized to be equal to zero, a first current remainder is initialized to be equal to the scaled dividend, and a second current remainder is initialized to be equal to the scaled dividend minus the scaled divisor. The following loop is performed until a selected number of quotient digits are produced. An estimated next quotient digit is calculated based on the first digit of the first current remainder. A temp remainder is selected to be either the first current remainder or the second current remainder based on the estimated next quotient digit. A first next remainder is calculated by subtracting one of the stored multiples from the temp remainder, where the stored multiple is selected based on a first digit of the first current remainder. A second next remainder is calculated by subtracting an other one of the stored multiples from the temp remainder, where the other one of the stored multiples is selected based on the first current remainder. An actual quotient digits is calculated based on the estimated next quotient digit, the first current remainder and the first next remainder. The accumulated quotient is updated with the actual next quotient digit. Finally, the first current remainder is set to be equal to the first next remainder and the second current remainder is set to be equal to the second next remainder.