For more information about cryptographic functions on z14 servers, see Chapter 6,  “Cryptographic features” on page 207. The decimal floating point (DFP) accelerator function is present on each of the  microprocessors (cores) on the 10-core chip. Its implementation meets business application  requirements for better performance, precision, and function.  Base 10 arithmetic is used for most business and financial computation. Floating point  computation that is used for work that is typically done in decimal arithmetic involves frequent  data conversions and approximation to represent decimal numbers. This process makes  floating point arithmetic complex and error-prone for programmers who use it for applications  in which the data is typically decimal. Hardware DFP computational instructions provide the following features: The DFP accelerator offers the following benefits: z14 servers have two DFP accelerator units per core, which improve the decimal floating  point execution bandwidth. The floating point instructions operate on newly designed vector  registers (32 new 128-bit registers).  z14 servers include new decimal floating point packed conversion facility support with the  following benefits: 3.4.6 Decimal floating point accelerator GLYPH<SM590000> Data formats of 4, 8, and 16 bytes GLYPH<SM590000> An encoded decimal (base 10) representation for data GLYPH<SM590000> Instructions for running decimal floating point computations GLYPH<SM590000> An instruction that runs data conversions to and from the decimal floating point  representation GLYPH<SM590000> Avoids rounding issues, such as those that happen with binary-to-decimal conversions. GLYPH<SM590000> Controls existing binary-coded decimal (BCD) operations better. GLYPH<SM590000> Follows the standardization of the dominant decimal data and decimal operations in  commercial computing, supporting the industry standardization (IEEE 745R) of decimal  floating point operations. Instructions are added in support of the Draft Standard for  Floating-Point Arithmetic - IEEE 754-2008, which is intended to supersede the ANSI/IEEE  Standard 754-1985. GLYPH<SM590000> Allows COBOL programs that use zoned-decimal operations to take advantage of the  z/Architecture DFP instructions. GLYPH<SM590000> Reduces code path length because extra instructions to format conversion are no longer  needed. GLYPH<SM590000> Packed data is operated in memory by all decimal instructions without general-purpose  registers, which were required only to prepare for decimal floating point packed conversion  instruction. GLYPH<SM590000> Converting from packed can now force the input packed value to positive instead of  requiring a separate OI, OILL, or load positive instruction. GLYPH<SM590000> Converting to packed can now force a positive zero result instead of requiring ZAP  instruction. 104  IBM z14 (3906) Technical Guide Benefits of the DFP accelerator