Introduction to RISC assembly language programming

As the best way to gain an understanding of how a computer processor works at the lower levels, assembly language programming is essential background for every computer science and electronic engineering student. It is, however, often considered an arcane and complex discipline, because many first encounter it through the daunting instructions and registers of the Intel 8086 family.

Programming in a simple RISC architecture is very different due to the elegant and compact instruction set. Students of this text who have never programmed before and who study it simultaneously with a course on a higher-level language report that it is easier and more logical to program in assembly!

• is based around the MIPS RISC processor, a simple, clean RISC processor whose architecture and assembly language is easy to learn and understand
• speeds up the learning process by enabling the reader to start writing simple assembly language programs early, while assuming no prior knowledge of computer programming
• links with an automatic program testing system, allowing a lecturer to set programming questions and mark the assignments automatically, or a reader to test a MIPS assembly language program against numerous test inputs
• uses the SPIM simulator, a freely available virtual machine that allows users to write and simulate running MIPS R2000/R3000 assembly language programs on PC, Macintosh or UNIX platforms. with excellent source-level debugging tools
• contains a large number of example programs and programming questions
• is supported by related software freely available via the Web http://www.compapp.dcu.ie/~jwaldron

  Table of contents :
  

  1 Introduction

  1.1 Basic Computer Organization

  1.2 Machine Language

  1.3 Assembly Language

  1.4 Why Program in Assembly Language?

  1.5 Outline of Chapters

  1.6 Summary

  2 Essential Background Information

  2.1 Introduction

  2.2 Decimal and Binary Numbers

  2.3 Hexadecimal Numbers

  2.4 Binary Addition

  2.5 Two's Complement Numbers

  2.6 Bits, Bytes and Nibbles

  2.7 Storing Characters

  2.8 Summary

  3 MIPS Computer Organization

  3.1 Introduction

  3.2 The MIPS Design

  3.3 Memory Layout

  3.4 The MIPS Registers

  3.5 The SPIM Simulator

  3.6 I/O Organisation

  3.7 Summary

  4 An Example MIPS Program

  4.1 Introduction

  4.2 Source Code Format

  4.2.1 Comments

  4.2.2 Labels

  4.2.3 Operation Field

  4.2.4 Operand Field

  4.2.5 Constants

  4.3 Description of hello.a

  4.4 Putting Theory Into Practice

  4.4.1 Starting XSPIM

  4.4.2 Loading An Assembly Program

  4.4.3 Executing An Assembly Program

  4.4.4 Re-Loading and Re-Executing An Assembly Program

  4.4.5 Debugging An Assembly Program

  4.5 Load and Store Instructions

  4.6 Arithmetic Instructions

  4.7 Multiplication and Division

  4.8 Programming Example

  4.9 Summary

  5 Control Flow Structures

  5.1 Introduction

  5.2 Control Structures

  5.3 Conditional Branches

  5.4 Example Programs Using Loops

  5.5 Summary

  6 Addressing Modes

  6.1 Introduction

  6.2 MIPS Instruction Formats

  6.3 MIPS Register Addressing

  6.4 MIPS Base Addressing

  6.5 MIPS Immediate Addressing

  6.6 MIPS PC-relative Addressing

  6.7 Example Program Using Base Addressing

  6.8 Example Program Using Indexed addressing

  6.9 Base Register Addressing vs. Indexed Addressing

  6.10 Summary

  7 Logical, Shift and Rotate Instructions

  7.1 Introduction

  7.2 Shift and Rotate Instructions

  7.3 Logical Instructions

  7.4 An Example Program

  7.5 Summary

  8 Stacks and Procedures

  8.1 Introduction

  8.2 The Stack

  8.3 Procedure Calls

  8.4 Passing Parameters

  8.5 Temporary and Saved Registers

  8.6 Stack Frames

  8.7 Assembly Code From A Real Compiler

  8.8 Example Recursive Programs

  8.8.1 Fibonacci's Rabbits

  8.8.2 The Towers of Hanoi

  8.9 Summary

  A MIPS Programming Exams

  A.1 Introduction

  A.2 MIPSMARK Software

  B MIPS/SPIM Instruction Quick Reference

  C MIPS/SPIM Instruction Reference