Advanced Stack Management
Background
When the processor must execute a stack management instruction (e.g., PUSH, POP, CALL, RET), the ESP register contents is modified (i.e., incremented or decremented). In IA32 pre-Pentium® M processors, the adjustment of the ESP register was accomplished by injecting an additional μop into the pipeline along with each stack-related IA32 instruction. When executed, the additional μop updated the ESP register by adding or subtracting an immediate value (2 or 4) to or from the ESP register.
Advanced Stack Management Description
The Pentium® M processor includes a Dedicated Stack Engine (DSE) that eliminates the additional μop that was necessary to increment or decrement the ESP register.
Although a public domain ...
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