1.2 Systems software & development

Types of programming language

Assembly language

  • Short, precise commands that provide greater control over the computer’s components.

Little Man Computer

Opcodes for low level instructions:

Code

Description

HLT

Stops program execution

ADD

Adds the contents of the memory address from the accumulator

SUB

Subtracts the contents of the memory address from the accumulator

STA

Stores the contents of the accumulator in the memory address given

LDA

Loads the accumulator with the contents of the memory address given

BRA

Branches to the address given, always.

BRZ

Branches to the address given, if the accumulator is zero.

BRP

Branches to the address given, if the accumulator is zero or positive.

INP

Asks the user for a number and puts it into the accumulator.

OUT

Outputs the contents of the accumulator.

DAT

Stores data in a variable, declared.

OTC

Outputs a character in ASCII.

Addressing modes

  • There are different types of addressing modes.

Direct

Takes the data from the contents of the memory location addressed.

Indirect

Takes the data from the address of the contents of the memory location addressed.

Immediate

Takes the data from the value addressed. E.g LDA 8 would be 8.

Indexed

Takes the data held in the the memory location of the address + the index (held in index register)

Symbolic

Takes the data held in a tag. E.g STA total