Ken Shirriff's Blog
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Reverse-engineering Ethernet backoff on the Intel 82586 network chip's die
Introduced in 1973, Ethernet is the predominant way of wiring computers together. Chips were soon introduced to handle the low-level aspects of...
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Examining the silicon dies of the Intel 386 processor
You might think of the Intel 386 processor (1985) as just an early processor in the x86 line, but the 386 was a critical turning point for modern...
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Reverse-engineering the mechanical Bendix Central Air Data Computer
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How flip-flops are implemented in the Intel 8086 processor
A key concept for a processor is the management of "state", information that persists over time. Much of a computer is built from logic gates, such...
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Tracing the roots of the 8086 instruction set to the Datapoint 2200 minicomputer
.hilite {cursor:zoom-in} a:link img.hilite, a:visited img.hilite {color: #fff;} a:hover img.hilite {color: #f66;} The Intel 8086...
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A close look at the 8086 processor's bus hold circuitry
.hilite {cursor:zoom-in} a:link img.hilite, a:visited img.hilite {color: #fff;} a:hover img.hilite {color: #f66;} The Intel 8086...
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Undocumented 8086 instructions, explained by the microcode
>Undocumented 8086 instructions, explained by the microcode .hilite {cursor:zoom-in} a:link img.hilite, a:visited img.hilite {color:...
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Reverse-engineering the 8086 processor's address and data pin circuits
.hilite {cursor:zoom-in} a:link img.hilite, a:visited img.hilite {color: #fff;} a:hover img.hilite {color: #f66;} The Intel 8086...
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The complex history of the Intel i960 RISC processor
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The Group Decode ROM: The 8086 processor's first step of instruction decoding
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Reverse-engineering the division microcode in the Intel 8086 processor
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The microcode and hardware in the 8086 processor that perform string operations
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The Group Decode ROM: The 8086 processor's first step of instruction decoding
.hilite {cursor:zoom-in} a:link img.hilite, a:visited img.hilite {color: #fff;} a:hover img.hilite {color: #f66;} pre.microcode...
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Reverse-engineering the division microcode in the Intel 8086 processor
.hilite {cursor:zoom-in} a:link img.hilite, a:visited img.hilite {color: #fff;} a:hover img.hilite {color: #f66;} pre.microcode...
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The microcode and hardware in the 8086 processor that perform string operations
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