80286_and_80287_Programmers_Reference_Manual_1987.pdf

80286_and_80287_Programmers_Reference_Manual The 80286 is the most powerful 16-bit processor in the 8086 series of microprocessors, which includes the 8086, the 8088, the 80186, the 80188, and the 80286. It is designed for applications that require very high performance. It is also an excellent choice for sophisticated "high end" applications that will benefit from its advanced architectural features: memory management, protection mechanisms, task management, and virtual memory support. The 80286 provides, on a single VLSI chip, computational and architectural characteristics normally associated with much larger minicomputers. Sections 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 of this chapter provide an overview of the 80286 architecture. Because the 80286 represents an extension of the 8086 architecture, some of this overview material may be new and unfamiliar to previous users of the 8086 and similar microprocessors. But the 80286 is also an evolutionary development, with the new architecture superimposed upon the industry standard 8086 in such a way as to affect only the design and programming of operating systems and other such system software. Section 1.4 of this chapter provides a guide to the organization of this manual, suggesting which chapters are relevant to the needs of particular readers.