Difference between revisions of "Intel 80386"

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The i386 is the 3rd generation CPU from intel based on the 8088/8086 CPU.  The 386 was a 32bit CPU, featuring all the features of the [[i286]] cpu, plus 32bit protected mode with variable page sizes, allowing for a flat memory space where the entire 4GB of accessable ram could be accessed without segmentation.
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The i386 is the 3rd generation CPU from Intel based on the 8088/8086 CPU.  The 386 was a 32bit CPU, featuring all the features of the [[i286]] CPU, plus 32bit protected mode with variable page sizes, allowing for a flat memory space where the entire 4GB of accessible ram could be accessed without segmentation.
  
The 386 also featured a special mode called v86 which facilitated the creation of [[VDM]]s.  In this mode all unprivliged instructions of the 386 could execute in a hardware virtual machine, and privleged instructions would fault.
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The 386 also featured a special mode called v86 which facilitated the creation of [[VDM]]s.  In this mode all unprivileged instructions of the 386 could execute in a hardware virtual machine, and privileged instructions would fault.
  
The real sucess of this chip was that it made 32bit software available to the masses, and for bringing 'real' [[Unix]] from the VAX enviroment to normal people.
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The real success of this chip was that it made 32bit software available to the masses, and for bringing 'real' [[Unix]] from the VAX environment to normal people, via cheap commodity hardware.
  
 
== Trivia ==
 
== Trivia ==
The first 386's had an issue with the multiply instruction in 32bit modes, so there had to be a recall on all parts.  Later the parts were either stamped "16 bit software only" or with a double sigma sign to certifiy they would operate correctly.
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The first 386's had an issue with the multiply instruction in 32bit modes, so there had to be a recall on all parts.  Later the parts were either stamped "16 bit software only" or with a double sigma sign to certify they would operate correctly.
  
IBM was not the first PC manufacture to make a 386 cpu, they were to infactuated with the 286 and OS/2 so it was [[Compaq]] who beat them with a Desqpro 386.
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IBM was not the first PC manufacture to make a 386 CPU, they were to infatuated with the 286 and OS/2 so it was [[Compaq]] who beat them with a Desqpro 386.
  
 
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Revision as of 05:11, 21 September 2009

The i386 is the 3rd generation CPU from Intel based on the 8088/8086 CPU. The 386 was a 32bit CPU, featuring all the features of the i286 CPU, plus 32bit protected mode with variable page sizes, allowing for a flat memory space where the entire 4GB of accessible ram could be accessed without segmentation.

The 386 also featured a special mode called v86 which facilitated the creation of VDMs. In this mode all unprivileged instructions of the 386 could execute in a hardware virtual machine, and privileged instructions would fault.

The real success of this chip was that it made 32bit software available to the masses, and for bringing 'real' Unix from the VAX environment to normal people, via cheap commodity hardware.

Trivia

The first 386's had an issue with the multiply instruction in 32bit modes, so there had to be a recall on all parts. Later the parts were either stamped "16 bit software only" or with a double sigma sign to certify they would operate correctly.

IBM was not the first PC manufacture to make a 386 CPU, they were to infatuated with the 286 and OS/2 so it was Compaq who beat them with a Desqpro 386.