The stack circuitry of the Intel 8087 floating point chip, reverse-engineered
2 days ago
- #Computer History
- #Intel 8087
- #Floating-point
- Intel introduced the 8087 floating-point coprocessor in 1980, significantly speeding up floating-point operations.
- The 8087 was complex, containing between 40,000 and 75,000 transistors, and its design influenced modern floating-point systems.
- The chip featured a stack-based architecture for registers, intended to simplify compiler design and improve function call efficiency.
- Despite its innovative design, the stack approach had drawbacks, including stack overflow issues and inefficiencies in handling function calls.
- The 8087 was initially met with skepticism but became a major success, cementing Intel Israel's reputation and leading to integrated floating-point units in later processors.
- Modern computers still use floating-point systems based on the 8087, making it one of the most influential chips ever created.