3. The compiler's role

As previously mentioned, the compiler is responsible for generating long instructions according to the different slots available. VLIW instructions can have up to 8 slots, whereas the length of basic blocks in programs, i.e. the sequence of instructions followed by a branch, varies on average between 4 to 5 for integer programs and 8 to 10 for float programs. This means that a basic block requires one instruction or a very small number of VLIW instructions.