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Introduction of Assembler

Assembler is a program that converts assembly code into machine-readable object code in two passes. In the first pass, it defines symbols and literals, tracks the location counter, and processes pseudo-operations. It generates symbol and literal tables. In the second pass, it generates the object code by converting symbolic op-codes into numeric codes and assigns values to symbols and literals using the tables from pass one. The assembler divides the work between the two passes to efficiently translate assembly code into executable machine code.

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16 views5 pages

Introduction of Assembler

Assembler is a program that converts assembly code into machine-readable object code in two passes. In the first pass, it defines symbols and literals, tracks the location counter, and processes pseudo-operations. It generates symbol and literal tables. In the second pass, it generates the object code by converting symbolic op-codes into numeric codes and assigns values to symbols and literals using the tables from pass one. The assembler divides the work between the two passes to efficiently translate assembly code into executable machine code.

Uploaded by

Nitin Garg
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Introduction of Assembler

Assembler is a program for converting instructions written in low-level


assembly code into relocatable machine code and generating along
information for the loader.

It generates instructions by evaluating the mnemonics (symbols) in operation


field and find the value of symbol and literals to produce machine code. Now,
if assembler do all this work in one scan then it is called single pass
assembler, otherwise if it does in multiple scans then called multiple pass
assembler. Here assembler divide these tasks in two passes:
 Pass-1:
1. Define symbols and literals and remember them in symbol
table and literal table respectively.
2. Keep track of location counter
3. Process pseudo-operations
 Pass-2:
1. Generate object code by converting symbolic op-code into
respective numeric op-code
2. Generate data for literals and look for values of symbols
Firstly, We will take a small assembly language program to understand the
working in their respective passes. Assembly language statement format:
[Label] [Opcode] [operand]

Example: M ADD R1, ='3'


where, M - Label; ADD - symbolic opcode;
R1 - symbolic register operand; (='3') - Literal

Assembly Program:
Label Op-code operand LC value(Location counter)
JOHN START 200
MOVER R1, ='3' 200
MOVEM R1, X 201
L1 MOVER R2, ='2' 202
LTORG 203
X DS 1 204
END 205
Let’s take a look on how this program is working:
1. START: This instruction starts the execution of program from
location 200 and label with START provides name for the program.
(JOHN is name for program)
2. MOVER: It moves the content of literal(=’3′) into register operand
R1.
3. MOVEM: It moves the content of register into memory operand(X).
4. MOVER: It again moves the content of literal(=’2′) into register
operand R2 and its label is specified as L1.
5. LTORG: It assigns address to literals(current LC value).
6. DS(Data Space): It assigns a data space of 1 to Symbol X.
7. END: It finishes the program execution.
Working of Pass-1: Define Symbol and literal table with their addresses.
Note: Literal address is specified by LTORG or END.
Step-1: START 200 (here no symbol or literal is found so both table would
be empty)

Step-2: MOVER R1, =’3′ 200 ( =’3′ is a literal so literal table is made)
Literal Address

=’3′ –––

Step-3: MOVEM R1, X 201


X is a symbol referred prior to its declaration so it is stored in symbol table
with blank address field.
Symbol Address

X –––

Step-4: L1 MOVER R2, =’2′ 202


L1 is a label and =’2′ is a literal so store them in respective tables
Symbol Address

X –––

L1 202

Literal Address

=’3′ –––
Literal Address

=’2′ –––

Step-5: LTORG 203


Assign address to first literal specified by LC value, i.e., 203
Literal Address

=’3′ 203

=’2′ –––

Step-6: X DS 1 204
It is a data declaration statement i.e X is assigned data space of 1. But X is a
symbol which was referred earlier in step 3 and defined in step 6.This
condition is called Forward Reference Problem where variable is referred
prior to its declaration and can be solved by back-patching. So now
assembler will assign X the address specified by LC value of current step.
Symbol Address

X 204

L1 202

Step-7: END 205


Program finishes execution and remaining literal will get address specified by
LC value of END instruction. Here is the complete symbol and literal table
made by pass 1 of assembler.
Symbol Address

X 204

L1 202

Literal Address

=’3′ 203

=’2′ 205

Now tables generated by pass 1 along with their LC value will go to pass-2 of
assembler for further processing of pseudo-opcodes and machine op-codes.
Working of Pass-2:
Pass-2 of assembler generates machine code by converting symbolic
machine-opcodes into their respective bit configuration(machine
understandable form). It stores all machine-opcodes in MOT table (op-code
table) with symbolic code, their length and their bit configuration. It will also
process pseudo-ops and will store them in POT table(pseudo-op table).
Various Data bases required by pass-2:
1. MOT table(machine opcode table)
2. POT table(pseudo opcode table)
3. Base table(storing value of base register)
4. LC ( location counter)
Take a look at flowchart to understand:
As a whole assembler works as:

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