Lexicon Entry
Instruction Set Architecture (ISA)
The abstract specification of a processor's machine language: its instructions, registers, memory model, and encoding format. x86-64 and ARM64 are ISAs.
Related Knowledge & Cross-References
Guide
Compiler Code Generation: How LLVM Turns IR into x86-64 and ARM64 Assembly
Between the hardware-agnostic world of LLVM Intermediate Representation (IR) and the raw binary bytes your CPU executes lies the backend pipeline—the most platform-specific, meticulously engineered phase of the compiler. In our previous deep dive into LLVM IR, we explored how the compiler represents your logic using an infinite number of virtual registers and generic instructions.…