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Reverse-engineering the vintage Intel 8087's tangent algorithm: more than CORDIC
8087
Intel
reverse engineering
software development
hardware design
Intel 8087
Floating-point operations
Summary
This blog post delves into the intricate workings behind the tangent algorithm of Intel's vintage 8087 floating-point chip, detailing its use of CORDIC and polynomial approximation for efficiency and accuracy. Through a blend of historical context and technical insights, the author analyzes the microcode and hardware features that enable quick tangent calculations.
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