Software Development for Embedded Multi-core Systems

Chapter 2. Basic System and Processor Architecture

Key Points

• Performance is the key set of characteristics used to compare competing systems. For this book, performance implies start-to-finish execution time unless otherwise stated.

• Embedded Intel^® Architecture processors have evolved over 30 years offering increased performance through microarchitecture features and increased functionality through integration.

• Understanding assembly language is critical to performance tuning and debugging.

A number of simple tips will help you analyze IA-32 architecture assembly language code.

Open the case of an embedded system and one of the more prominent items you will typically see is a motherboard to which various integrated circuits are attached. Figure 2.1 ...