Function and Significance of Operand Size Prefix Historical Background and Design Principles The x86 processor family has evolved from 16-bit to 32-bit and then to 64-bit. To maintain backward compatibility, Intel introduced the operand size prefix mechanism: During the 8086/8086 Era: 256 opcodes were almost entirely used for 8-bit and 16-bit operands During the 80386 … Read more
1. Overview of Single-Byte Instructions 1.1 Basic Concepts A single-byte instruction refers to an instruction that contains only the opcode field and has no explicit operands. These instructions typically have the following characteristics: The operand is implicit in the instruction The instruction length is fixed at 1 byte High execution efficiency 1.2 Common Examples of … Read more
Overview of Exception Masking In the x86 architecture, the Floating Point Unit (FPU) provides a set of exception handling mechanisms. By default, all floating-point exceptions are masked, which means that when an exception occurs, the processor provides a default result and continues execution without interrupting the program flow. FPU Control Word Structure The FPU control … Read more
In assembly language, the <span>mul</span> instruction is used to perform unsigned multiplication operations. It is one of the basic arithmetic instructions in the x86 architecture, used for handling 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit multiplication operations.<span>mul</span> instruction is characterized by its operands being implicitly specified, with the result stored in fixed registers. Basic Rules of the MUL … Read more
CPUs and GPUs are like a pair of noisy roommates, one responsible for logical processes (CPU) and the other for crazy parallel computations (GPU). The data exchange between them (PCIe channels) is like a narrow hallway at the door, often becoming a performance bottleneck. Now, imagine this pair of roommates suddenly announcing: “We’ve decided to … Read more
1. Core Concepts: 16-bit Segments vs. 32-bit Segments In the x86 architecture, the length and characteristics of a “segment” depend on the operating mode of the processor. 16-bit Segment: Maximum Length:64KB (<span>0FFFFh</span>). Typical Modes:Real Mode and Virtual 8086 Mode. This is the only option for 8086/8088 and is a requirement for 80386+ in real mode. … Read more
The Rise of Arm Servers: Is x86 Facing Its Downfall? Can AMD’s Bold Moves Change the Game? 1. Arm Architecture: The Dark Horse in the Server and PC Market (1) Server Market: From “Invisible” to “Guest of Honor” We all know that the server market used to be dominated by the x86 architecture, with Intel … Read more
Sponsored by With the rise of technologies such as virtualization and cloud computing,IT has once again redefined virtualization technology, which has a history of several decades, expanding its scope. However, to date, there is no universally accepted standard definition of virtualization; most definitions are based on its applications. Generally, virtualization can be summarized and described … Read more
Return Value Rules in Windows Calling Conventions In programming on the x86 architecture of the Windows platform, regardless of the calling convention used (<span>__cdecl</span>, <span>__stdcall</span>, <span>__fastcall</span>, etc.), the return value of a function is typically passed through the EAX register. This unified rule simplifies interoperability between different calling conventions. Basic Return Value Mechanism Returning Integers … Read more
2025 Edge Computing Frontier Station High-Performance Edge Computing with X86 Architecture Working Together for a Connected World · Greetings from Ark · Dear family of Ark Academy, hello! I am your Ark partner, Xiao Zhou. Today, we will discuss the high-performance edge computing capabilities of X86 architecture. 01 High Performance of X86 Architecture In today’s … Read more