Re: Datasheet-flation?

On Sat, 23 Nov 2024 03:50:54 -0700, Don Y
<blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> wrote:

The data "sheet" for the new processor I'm using is ~16,000 pages.
(note carefully the position of the comma separator)

I suggest you switch to a RISC processor.  Fewer instructions implies
that there might be fewer pages of documentation.  Let's see if that
works.

The RISC-V instruction set manual is 238 PDF pages:
<https://riscv.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/riscv-spec.pdf>
while the Intel 64 and IA-32 combined developer manual is 5,237 PDF
pages:
<https://cdrdv2-public.intel.com/835781/325462-sdm-vol-1-2abcd-3abcd-4.pdf>
Yep.  More instructions means more pages.

This is getting ridiculous.  I thought 2,000 page datasheets were
over the top, but this one is a personal record!  <frown>

Nobody RTFM's the entire manual.  You're not expected to read and
understand everything, just the part that is useful for whatever
you're doing.  I have numerous books where I've only read a few
relevant chapters, skimmed a few others, and ignored the rest.  When
you lookup a telephone number in a telephone directory, do you read
the entire directory?  Same with modern devices, which are often full
of features that you'll never need or use.

--
Jeff Liebermann                 jeffl@cruzio.com
PO Box 272      http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann      AE6KS    831-336-2558