Zhaoxin Unveiled Next-Generation x86 SoC Plans

Re:Zhaoxin Unveiled Next-Generation x86 SoC Plans by tambourine_man on Saturday December 14, 2019 @01:34PM (#21791181)

I’ve read about it many times but still can’t figure it out completely.

Can a x86 license holder always use any of its new features? For example, you had a license in the 90s, can you automatically use 256, 512 width vector instructions?

Are none of those licenses untransferable in case of the company purchase or just AMD’s?

Is the license policy from Intel a result from IBM’s pressure back in the day? Did they demand multiple providers or just one alternative (AMD)?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Zhaoxin Unveiled Next-Generation x86 SoC Plans by monocasa on Saturday December 14, 2019 @01:40PM (#21791216)

Like all complex legal matters "it depends".

The enforcement is based on patents and contracts signed for licensing those patents. There tend to be a new set of patents for each new ISA feature. That's half the reason why the virtualization extensions are different on Intel and AMD for instance; they didn't cross license that piece.

The patents are obviously public, but we can't answer all the questions about the contracts since those tend to be private (we have seen a couple publicly due to law suits however).

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Zhaoxin Unveiled Next-Generation x86 SoC Plans by toast0 on Saturday December 14, 2019 @06:22PM (#21793099)

AMDs initial x86 processors were indeed as an IBM mandated second source, but I think their 386 class (and definitely 486 class) processors were independently developed. I suspect Intel won't cancel existing licenses for anti-trust reasons, but also would price a new license for a lot more than in the 486 days.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Zhaoxin Unveiled Next-Generation x86 SoC Plans by rasz on Sunday December 15, 2019 @03:41PM (#21798841)

AMD 386 had directly copied microcode, Intel sued and lost due to previous cross licensing agreements.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Zhaoxin Unveiled Next-Generation x86 SoC Plans by rasz on Sunday December 15, 2019 @03:39PM (#21798830)

VIA x86 license expired in 2013, thats the year Zhaoxin came into existence in mainland China.

[ Parent | on HN ]