Postface

It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is
the journey that matters in the end.
Ursula K. Le Guin

Our not-too-long but not-too-short journey through microprocessor engineering ends here. Thank you for staying with me through all these pages and for turning blind eye to all inaccuracies that I surely missed in the effort of writing this book. If you wish to share your views about the book you may contact me via e-mail lukasz[latex]\ldotp[/latex]makowski at ee[latex]\ldotp[/latex]pw[latex]\ldotp[/latex]edu[latex]\ldotp[/latex]pl.

We revised fundamental aspects of numeral systems and boolean logic. We analysed hardware aspects of modern computing machinery and briefly discussed methods by which processors communicate with hardware. Then we discussed how to prepare environment in which practical aspects of programming may be learned. In the last part, and the longest one, we picked some more interesting instructions from x86-64 architecture and tested them in practical programs.

This book was not intended to cover all possible material, which is hardly feasible in any book. Its goal is to open door beyond which there is a path of increasing experience and further improvement of skill. In these final words I would like to encourage readers so that you dare to search for knowledge that takes form of bits, bytes, and electric signals. I wish you all the best in your future software and hardware projects.

Lukasz Makowski

Warszawa, May 2019