The 8086 microprocessor is almost 45 years old, but the x86 architecture still rules computing. I'm reverse engineering the 8086 by studying its silicon die under a microscope. This thread looks at one of its unusual circuits: the bootstrap driver.🧵 https://t.co/FcsZJy5DEE

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The 8086 microprocessor is almost 45 years old, but the x86 architecture still rules computing. I'm reverse engineering the 8086 by studying its silicon die under a microscope. This thread looks at one of its unusual circuits: the bootstrap driver.🧵

Die photo of the 8086 microprocessor. The metal layer on top of the silicon is visible. Around the edge of the chip, bond wires provide connections to the chip's external pins.

Closeup die photo of the 8086 showing bootstrap driver circuits. The metal layer has been removed to show the silicon and poly silicon underneath.

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