Processor forum

[OSwhatever]

I'm looking for a good place where to discuss processor technology and architecture. Basically a place like this but for CPUs.

Now, I don't mean a forum where you discuss "how do I overclock my x86 to xxx GHz" but the more CPU architectures of any CPU and not just x86.

[xenos]

Which kind of topics are you thinking about? Something like "How do I output something to the serial port of my TI OMAP3503?" or "What do I need to do when I boot a MIPS system?"? I don't know whether there is a forum for such things. The only thing I could offer is the wiki which I linked in my signature, where I'm collecting this kind of information.

[Solar]

Now, I don't mean a forum where you discuss "how do I overclock my x86 to xxx GHz" but the more CPU architectures of any CPU and not just x86.

I think most people do not realize that what's documented in the Intel Manuals is a mere fraction of what constitutes "the x86 architecture".

For several CPU generations now, the x86 has two very different faces: The front side, which maintains compatibility to older generations, and the back side, where state-of-the-art technology is used to provide a CPU that does look like a x86 on the front side but doesn't work like that at all, because it would be too slow. Other architectures don't suffer that much from this duality, because they are newer and don't cater for interfaces specified over three decades ago, but I think you got the point. At the bottom, CPU architecture is about wavelengths, quantum effects and pretty heavily IP'ed cutting edge technology.

As such, I doubt that very many people outside the Intel R&D department actually understand one "architecture", let alone several, to the point of making talk about it worthwhile. And if you actually find a couple of those people that would talk about such things, they would do so in a lab environment, or not at all (due to NDA's being signed), but not in an internet forum.

As such, I fear your chances of finding a place of competent discussion about architecture pro's and con's to be rather slim.

[OSwhatever]

Which kind of topics are you thinking about? Something like "How do I output something to the serial port of my TI OMAP3503?" or "What do I need to do when I boot a MIPS system?"? I don't know whether there is a forum for such things. The only thing I could offer is the wiki which I linked in my signature, where I'm collecting this kind of information.

No, it's more about CPU technology on architectural and digital design level. The topics should more be about impacts of ISA design and algorithms implemented in their designs. I think forums for FPGAs or VHDL would be the closest thing here.

[Nable]

+1 to the answer of Solar and i also want to add that if you want to discuss front-end part, then it may be (as i see) done here and about back-end parts you can find some information here: http://opencores.org/