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Timer Function in C for Nanosecond Precision
When timing the execution of an API function in C , the built-in clock() function initially calculates the time elapsed in seconds. To obtain more precise measurements in nanoseconds, we need to delve into platform-specific timekeeping mechanisms.
Linux and BSD
For Linux and BSD operating systems, clock_gettime() is the recommended method:
#include <sys/time.h> int main() { timespec ts; // For Linux, use: clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &ts); // For FreeBSD, use: clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &ts); }
Windows
Windows offers the QueryPerformanceCounter function:
#include <windows.h> int main() { LARGE_INTEGER ts; QueryPerformanceCounter(&ts); }
Precision and Accuracy Considerations
While QueryPerformanceCounter provides higher resolution, it has certain limitations:
Windows 7 and later versions attempt to address these issues by detecting processors with invariant TSC (Time Stamp Counter) and employing external timers when necessary.
Additional Resources
For further insights and troubleshooting, refer to these additional articles:
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