Notes on the Pentium's microcode circuitry

> If you have enough time, you can extract the bits from the ROM by examining the silicon and seeing where transistors are present.

I'm curious if this is a better way than somehow scanning the ROM electronically? Asking based on my very shallow understanding of how ROM works in this situation, although I did read the bit about M1, M2, and M3 lines/contacts.

[edit: I also read about the testing circuitry, that "runs through each address," but it's unclear if this is an auto feature running without being asked at startup, or if there is some way to tap into / intercept this functionality from outside.]

You could put microprobes on the die and read out the ROM contents electrically, but that would be difficult and would need specialized equipment. Reading out the ROM visually is much easier, and there is software that can interpret images if they are clear enough, e.g. maskromtool: https://github.com/travisgoodspeed/maskromtool

The Pentium's built-in self test is somewhat documented: you pull the INIT pin high while the RESET pin goes low to trigger the test. You can also execute the RUNBIST instruction through boundary scan. I don't think this helps you get the ROM data; the test just reports pass/fail.