| Fixed-Point Blockset | |
Limitations on Precision
Computer words consist of a finite numbers of bits. This means that the binary encoding of variables is only an approximation of an arbitrarily precise real-world value. Therefore, the limitations of the binary representation automatically introduce limitations on the precision of the value. For a general discussion of range and precision in the Fixed-Point Blockset, refer to Range and Precision.
The precision of a fixed-point word depends on the word size and radix point location. Extending the precision of a word can always be accomplished with more bits, but you face practical limitations with this approach. Instead, you must carefully select the data type, word size, and scaling such that numbers are accurately represented. Rounding and padding with trailing zeros are typical methods implemented on processors to deal with the precision of binary words.
| | Overview | Rounding | |