Explaining Microprocessor Instruction Set
Why are a microprocessor’s instructions referred to as an instruction set? Because the microprocessor architect selects the instruction complement with great care; it must be simple to execute complex operations as a sequence of simple events, each of which is described by one instruction from a well-designed instruction set.
Assembler often frighten users who are new to programming. Yet taken in isolation, the operations involved in the execution of a single instruction are usually simple to follow. Moreover, you need not attempt to understand all the instructions at once. As you study each of the programs in these notes you will learn about the speciffic instructions involved.
Microprocessor datasheet lists the instruction mnemonics. This provides a review of the processors capabilities, and will also be useful when you need a particular kind of operation but are either unsure of the specific mnemonics or not yet familiar with what instructions are available.
Microprocessor instructions are usually categorized into few groups depending on what the instruction does. For example, the ARM microprocessor instruction set can be divided into six broad classes of instruction.
• Data Movement
• Logical and Bit Manipulation
• Arithmetic
• Flow Control
• Memory Access
• System Control / Privileged
Microprocessor Arithmetic Operations
Much of the arithmetic in some microprocessor applications consists of multiple-word binary or decimal manipulations. The processor provides for decimal addition and subtraction, but does not provide for decimal multiplication or division, you must create these operations with sequences of instruction.
Most processors provide for both signed and unsigned binary arithmetic. Signed numbers are described in two’s complement form. This means that the operations of addition and subtraction are the same whether the numbers are signed or unsigned.
Multiple-precision binary arithmetic requires simple repetitions of the basic instructions. The Carry flag transmits information between words. It is set when an addition results in a carry or a subtraction results in a borrow. Add with Carry and Subtract with Carry use this information from the previous arithmetic operation.
Decimal arithmetic is a standard enough task for microprocessors that most have special instructions for this purpose. These instructions may either perform decimal operations directly or correct the results of binary operations to the proper decimal form. Decimal arithmetic is essential in such applications as point-of-sale terminals, check processors, order entry systems, and banking terminals.
You can implement decimal multiplication and division as series of additions and subtractions, respectively. Extra memory must be reserved for results, since a multiplication produces a result twice as long as the operands. A division contracts the length of the result. Multiplications and divisions are time-consuming when done in software because of the repeated operations that are necessary.
Instruction set of any microprocessor or microcontroller is a precisely chosen list of instructions that can be used to write ANY program. It is up to the software engineer (or compiler) to select the right algorithm and order of instructions.
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