.Net do not use all the cpu calling to C++ DLL

wakeup · January 22nd, 2008, 12:49 PM

I have a small aplication in windows forms (C# framework 2.0) which call in a loop to a function of a C++ Dll. I have the same aplication done in VB6, and VB6 goes quite a lot quicker than C# aplication, 10 times more quickly more or less.

When the application in VB6 is running I can see in Task manager It is using 50% of CPU more less. But When I run the application in C# doing the same It is using only 5% of CPU.

It only happnes when I call to this dll, other applications in C# use 50% of CPU too in large loops.

Do you know the reason?

Thanks in advance

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weicco · January 22nd, 2008, 01:22 PM

Could you give sample of your code how you call the DLL in C# and what the actual C++ class/method/function/whatever looks like? I'm guessing that .NET is creating and destroying that C++ object when it is running inside the loop.

50% CPU time... It seems you are running double core CPU. Create two threads to run loops and you get nice round 100% CPU usage if you make sure they are ran on separate cores ;)

wakeup · January 22nd, 2008, 01:29 PM

This is the loop

Code:

            
for (int step = 0; step < steps ; step++)
            {
                simulator.Run(step + 1);

            }

Yes it is a dual core CPU. It is not important in this case to use 100%, but It is important to me to use 50% and not 5%.

Thanks

http://www.hhdirecto.net
http://www.dechiste.com
http://www.sinmp3.com

weicco · January 23rd, 2008, 04:34 AM

Well, that 100% was just a joke :)

But that piece of code destroyed my nice little theory so I'm all out of ideas. I hope that someone else has more insight on this one...

samjudson · January 23rd, 2008, 05:22 AM

How are you declaring the call to the DLL? Are you using p/invoke or are you using COM interop?

If the former, then can you show us the declaration in both the C# example, and the old VB6 example.

/- Sam Judson : Wrox Technical Editor -/

wakeup · January 23rd, 2008, 05:29 AM

****** VB ***

I added the COM dll in references and then:
        Dim simulator As MySimulator
        Set simulator = New MySimulator

********** C# ********
I add the COM dll in references an then:

            MySimulatorLib.MySimulator simulator;
            simulator = new MySimulator.MySimulator ();

After that I only initializate some parameters of the dll like
simulator.parameter1 = 3;
simulator.parameter2 = x;

And then I run the loop calling to run() functiÃ³n of the DLL

Thanks

http://www.hhdirecto.net
http://www.dechiste.com
http://www.sinmp3.com