This Python module adds half-precision floating point support to NumPy.
In Python, all you have to do is 'import half', and a float16 type will
be available in NumPy ('numpy.float16').

To build:
$ python setup.py build

To install (as root):
# python setup.py install

To install in your home directory (replace ... with the appropriate
value and add the PYTHON path to ~/.bashrc or where is right for
your setup):
$ export PYTHONPATH=$PYTHONPATH:~/pymods/.../site-packages
$ python setup.py install --prefix=~/pymods

Here's some simple example usage:

 >>> import numpy as np, half
 >>> np.arange(10, dtype='float16')
 array([ 0.,  1.,  2.,  3.,  4.,  5.,  6.,  7.,  8.,  9.], dtype=float16)
 >>> print np.finfo(np.float16)
 Machine parameters for float16
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 precision=  3   resolution= 1.0004e-03
 machep=   -10   eps=        9.7656e-04
 negep =   -11   epsneg=     4.8828e-04
 minexp=   -14   tiny=       6.1035e-05
 maxexp=    16   max=        6.5504e+04
 nexp  =     5   min=        -max
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 >>> a = np.array([-np.inf, 0, 1, 3.14159], dtype='f2')
 >>> a
 array([     -Inf,  0.      ,  1.      ,  3.140625], dtype=float16)
 >>> ['%04x' % h for h in a.view(dtype='u2')]
 ['fc00', '0000', '3c00', '4248']