- The groundbreaking 8086 microprocessor was introduced by Intel in 1978 and led to the x86 architecture that still dominates desktop and server computing. One way that the 8086 increased performance was by prefetching: the processor fetches instructions from memory before they are needed, so the processor can execute them without waiting on the (relatively slow) memory. I’ve been reverse-engineering the 8086 from die photos and this blog post discusses what I’ve uncovered about the prefetch circuitry.
instruction prefetch circuitry of
- Gunpowder Island Natural Area Preserve (dnr.wa.gov)
Located on a sand island in Willapa Bay, this 152 acre preserve protects nesting seabird colonies, including the rare snowy plover. It is a historic nest site for caspian terns. This large sandy accretion changes shape on a regular basis, and dune vegetation and seabirds re-colonize the shifting habitat. The island is also a haul-out location and pupping site for harbor seals.