Slowdown utility

A brake software is a computer program that is used to reduce the execution speed of other programs. Therefore executing the computer system must be able to handle a plurality of programs on a CPU core. Software brakes can usually be adjusted in their degree of braking system.

Need

Mainly in older DOS games mechanisms have been widely applied, which were directly from the system clock dependent. This led to a program that has been written, for example, for a 286 processor at 8 MHz with a higher clock rate was correspondingly faster with a CPU of the same series. At 16 MHz, the velocity would have been twice as high, which is desirable for the simple data processing. If this, however, the same acceleration is also required for the user interaction, this means that the programs can not be used as intended.

Submitted at the beginning of the turbo button for the desired reduction in computing power in order to maintain backward compatibility, had to be used because of the diversity of processors and fast power increase increasingly software solutions. This software loads the system resources and thereby artificially led to a reduction in performance.

Modern computer programs to synchronize their execution speed, if necessary, almost without exception, system clock independent timers or synchronization mechanisms of the operating system.

Because programs that are not usable without software brake on modern computer systems, but due to the lack of compatibility with current operating systems usually anyway would not run, such programs are increasingly performed in virtual machines. Their scope of configuration software makes brakes often unnecessary.

Technology

There are following approaches to software Brakes:

Can be used to slow delay loops as well, but must be installed as opposed to software brakes as an integral part in the program to be braked.