XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11   
   From: robin_listas@es.invalid   
      
   On 2025-02-21 19:40, Mark Lloyd wrote:   
   > On Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:11:53 +0100, Carlos E.R. wrote:   
   >   
   > [snip]   
   >   
   >> Yes, an optional separate coprocesor was used initially. If it was not   
   >> inserted, an operation trying to use a coprocesor instruction would   
   >> raise an exception, which would be attended and the instruction emulated   
   >> in software by the program, which was significantly slower.   
   >   
   > IIRC, the 286 was the first to have that exception, although there were   
   > programs to emulate it on older systems. If I remember right, the turbo C   
   > compiler would replace every floating point instruction with a call to a   
   > routine that checked for a FPU. If it found one it would replace that call   
   > with the FPU instruction and return to a few bytes earlier to run that   
   > instruction, otherwise it would emulate it.   
   >   
   > [snip]   
   >   
      
   No, the 8087 also had that exception, it was used by Borland's Turbo   
   Pascal series.   
      
   --   
   Cheers, Carlos.   
      
   --- SoupGate-DOS v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)