Introduction to Instruction Set Architecture

Vocabulary flashcards defining fundamental concepts, components, and examples of Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) based on the lecture notes.

Instruction Set Architecture (ISA)

A contract between hardware and software that defines the set of operations a processor can execute and the memory space a program can use.

Abstraction Layer

A feature of an ISA that abstracts the underlying processor, enabling developers to write programs without needing to understand hardware intricacies.

Assembly Language

A human-readable representation of machine instructions that permits programmers to write instructions in a readable format before conversion into machine code.

Pseudo Instructions

Higher-level instructions provided in assembly language for convenience, which are translated into actual machine instructions by the assembler.

Virtual Machines and Emulators

Software systems that can simulate or mimic an ISA on different hardware platforms, allowing software compatibility across diverse systems without modification.

Direct Mapping

The translation relationship where each line of high-level code corresponds to one or more assembly instructions.

Prince of Persia

An early software application written in assembly language for efficiency and direct control over hardware resources.

$$\text{add } \$0, \$1, \$2$$

An assembly instruction example showing the addition of two registers and storing the result to demonstrate binary data manipulation.

RISC and CISC

Two different types of ISAs with unique characteristics that impact computing performance, capabilities, and system design.