3 ms·

Seems like the OS could solve it easily by trapping on undefined operation exceptions and retrying on the big core. If it still works simply mark the process a

• londons_explore 6y ago
  You could take this idea further... Trap the undefined instructions, and dynamically replace them with a jump to emulation code if running on a little core. Then let the OS and software folks do a systemwide profile to find out which bits of code most frequently run on which cores. Then configure the compiler not to output any instructions not available on the little cores for code which usually runs on the little cores.
  • jacques_chester 6y ago
    > Trap the undefined instructions, and dynamically replace them with a jump to emulation code if running on a little core. This was more or less what VMware pioneered to deal with privileged instructions. I expect there are thickets of patents involved, even if the earliest have expired. But it's likely there is or would be some licensing agreement. Disclosure: I work for VMware, though not in VMs per se. Speaking for myself only.
    • jdsully 6y ago
      This is how FPU emulation worked back in the 8086-386 days. Any patents are long expired or invalidated with prior art.
      • garmaine 6y ago
        No, unfortunately not. Only if you implement it exactly as it was done back in the day for FPUs. Any deviation and you might run into a more recent patent that covers some aspect of a later implementation, maybe even something seemingly obvious or necessary. This is why it is called a patent “minefield.”
• ori_b 6y ago
  At which point you've lost.