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Intel Potentially Reverse-Engineered AMD64
icypyr0 writes "Tom Halfhill, an analyst for In-Stat/MDR claims that due to similiarities in the instruction sets of AMD64 chips and the new 64-bit extensions for Intel Xeons, it is clear that Intel reverse-engineered the AMD64. However, due to the fact that the new Xeon is not an exact copy of the AMD64's microarchitecture, Intel has not broken the law. This very tactic has actually been used by firms such as AMD in the past to catch up to Intel."
So reverse engineering is not a problem in this case. In fact, it's not unlikely that AMD simply handed them the documentation.
I haven't read the article (this is /.), but i would have expected they reverse engineered, or read the documentation for AMD64 to implement their x86-64 cause it's apparently very nearly the same ISA.
Intel and AMD have a broad patent cross licensing agreement, so it's not a big deal.
Need a Catering Connection
"This very tactic has actually been used by firms such as AMD in the past to catch up to Intel."
Of course. Although don't forget cross-licensing deals as well e.g. Pentium.
The fact that Intel went to all this work simply shows that AMD made the better decision with it's architecture.
In my vocabulary "to reverse engineer" means to find out something internal, hidden and protected. The article talks about "reverse engineering AMD instruction set", which is obviously public. This is called "copying", and has nothing to do with "reverse engineering"
MSDOS: 20+ years without remote hole in the default install
AMD will have the last laugh here. Turns out they embedded a Pink Floyd album in the code of AMD64 (a fair-use copy, as AMD had previously purchased the album). When Intel copied the code and put it in their chip, it was all AMD needed for a little call to the RIAA to pay a visit to Intel's house....
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
Intel employee A: Here's the spec AMD gives us. Use it.
Intel employee B: Yee Hah!! I've almost figured out how they do this last opcode!
Intel employee A: Yeah, it's on page 183 of this. Read it.
Intel employee B: Leave me alone!! Specifications are for weenies! I'll reverse engineer it. You can keep the specs, thanks.
I've seen some people suggest that it was actually a "copy" of something AMD already made public, and not really a true attempt at reverse engineering. But even if it was reverse engineering, so what? Of course they haven't broken any laws! There's nothing wrong with reverse engineering. How many times has /. come out to defend reverse engineering (DeCSS, PlayFair, bleem!, Connectix's Virtual Game Station)?
If the little guys can do it, the big guys can do it, too. No double standards, please.
Tuck
Tuck's Journal.
I think we're supposed to be amazed that a big company did something that isn't illegal. Not sure though, that's the best I could get out of it.
The real Ralph Yarro posts as Anonymous Coward. Anyone else is an impostor.
Intel had decided that the NX bit was best left for their Itanium line as a highend feature ;)
------- "From bored to fanboy in 3.8 asian girls" ----------
Given that the instruction sets are compatible, you don't need to do much investigation to figure out that they have looked at AMD's x86-64.
Apparently, there is still some confusion about whether the instructions sets are compatible or not, and people such as Linus has been critisizing Intel for trying to hide the fact that they are indeed compatible by giving the instruction set another name.
When it comes to licensing of technology, AMD and Intel has had cross-licensing agreements since the seventies, and there has been roumors for a long time that these has included x86-64.
Intel pulled an AMD.
So reverse engineering is not a problem in this case. In fact, it's not unlikely that AMD simply handed them the documentation.
But reverse engineering isn't "Handing them the document," as you put it. They have the right to produce a chip which uses the same instruction set (x86-64) within their chip, but they have to find a way to build it themselves...unless they reverse engineer the design of the chip itself...happens all the time...Z80 ring a bell? AMD did the exact same thing with the Intel 286, 386, and 486...took Intel's chip and reversed the design...until they finally came out with their own design of the 5x86 architecture, the K5. The K5 still used the x86 instruction set, but executed it with their own engineered design. So, maybe this is a good sign of Intel now being the follower instead of the leader.
because Intel and AMD have, and recently renewed, a share and share-alike licence for each others technologies. They do this because it would hurt them both were their chips incompatable
Completely irresponsible and mindless work here.
This is truly a sad, sad state of affairs when stupid, unresearched yellow journalism like this makes the front page of Slashdot. We have known for *years* about the cross licensing of patents between AMD and Intel. It's been reported ON THIS SITE.
I normally don't like to flame the editors, but this is nearly unforgivable.
Goodbye Karma.
As for Intel's processor, I haven't heard good things. I saw an article on either The Register or The Inquirer that pointed to an article in c't about the Noncona (English thanks to Google) that Noncona is in trouble. According to the article in c't, a beta tester described the performance of the chip succintly: "It sucks." The article also states that HP has decided to only use Opteron chips, so perhaps it knows this fact too. The article doesn't say why (although it speculates that it's only emulating parts of the 64 bit instruction set). The article also has some info on some other things.
All in all, after all their foot dragging, I've lost interest in Intel. I'm worried that it won't perform as well as an Opteron. I'm worried it will be a blast furnace (Opteron's aren't cool by any means, but they look only luke-warm compared to Presshot). And I have read speculation (which I believe) that Intel is going to move to an integrated memory controller (like the Opteron) for performance reasons. Let's not forget that Intel is pushing a whole new form factor (BTX) just to help controll heat (or at least that seems to be it's major contribution to the world). AMD used to look like a "me too" company to me, making knockoffs. But over time (starting with the Athlon) I've been watching them and I no longer see them as an "also ran", they seem to be the REAL innovators these days.
AMD vs. Intel:
There are tons more. I saw an article on it the other day. Intel is not on sure footing, if you ask me. Between the problems above, the trend to sub $500 computers, and just AMDs gaining reputation, Intel could be in trouble. It has recently admitted that it can't continue to use the P4 and is going to build it's future chips off of it's mobile chip because they can't keep speeding up the P4, it's not worth it.
Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
if only AMD had been able to sneak in a few cyrix chips as their new easier-to-reverse-engineer edition 64bit chips....
While working at Intel in 2000-2001 it was well known that there was a "finders fee" of $5,000 for each 'hammer' you could provide the company with. In fact there was even a spooky looking site (complete with spy vs spy logo) on our intranet listing what all the finders fees were for various 'items' under development by our competitors.
needless to say I was a little surprised when I saw this...but not to surprised.