*DECK S$NBITS 
          IDENT  S$NBITS
          TITLE  S$NBITS -  NUMBER OF BITS TO HOLD A VALUE
          COMMENT  NUMBER OF BITS TO HOLD A VALUE 
          SPACE  4
**        S$NBITS -  NUMBER OF BITS TO HOLD A VALUE 
* 
*     CALLING SEQUENCE- 
*         ... = S$NBITS(<NUMBER>);
* 
*    GIVEN- 
*         <NUMBER> = INTEGER VALUE
* 
*         SETS THE VALUE OF THE FUNCTION (I.E. X6) TO THE SMALLEST
*         NUMBER OF BITS NECESSARY TO HOLD THAT <NUMBER>. 
  
  
          ENTRY  S$NBITS
 S$NBITS  SUBR
          SA2    X1          X2 = VALUE OF <NUMBER> 
          PX2 
          NX2    X2,B2       SET B2 = NUMBER OF BITS BETWEEN
          SB3    48            MOST SIGNIFICANT BIT AND BIT 47
          SX6    B3-B2       48 - (NUMBER OF BITS SHIFTED LEFT) 
          EXIT
  
  
          END 
