Microprocessor - 8086 Instruction Sets

The 8086 microprocessor support s 8 t ypes of inst ruct ions −

Dat a Transfer Inst ruct ions

Arit hmet ic Inst ruct ions
Bit Manipulat ion Inst ruct ions

St ring Inst ruct ions

Program Execut ion Transfer Inst ruct ions (Branch & Loop Inst ruct ions)
Processor Cont rol Inst ruct ions

It erat ion Cont rol Inst ruct ions

Int errupt Inst ruct ions

Let us now discuss t hese inst ruct ion set s in det ail.

Data Transfer Instructions

These inst ruct ions are used t o t ransfer t he dat a from t he source operand t o t he dest inat ion
operand. Following are t he list of inst ruct ions under t his group −

Instruction to transfer a word

MOV − Used t o copy t he byt e or word from t he provided source t o t he provided

dest inat ion.
PPUSH − Used t o put a word at t he t op of t he st ack.
POP − Used t o get a word from t he t op of t he st ack t o t he provided locat ion.

PUSHA − Used t o put all t he regist ers int o t he st ack.

POPA − Used t o get words from t he st ack t o all regist ers.
XCHG − Used t o exchange t he dat a from t wo locat ions.

XLAT − Used t o t ranslat e a byt e in AL using a t able in t he memory.

Instructions for input and output port transfer

 IN − Used t o read a byt e or word from t he provided port t o t he accumulat or.

OUT − Used t o send out a byt e or word from t he accumulat or t o t he provided port .

Instructions to transfer the address

LEA − Used t o load t he address of operand int o t he provided regist er.

LDS − Used t o load DS regist er and ot her provided regist er from t he memory

LES − Used t o load ES regist er and ot her provided regist er from t he memory.

Instructions to transfer flag registers

LAHF − Used t o load AH wit h t he low byt e of t he flag regist er.

SAHF − Used t o st ore AH regist er t o low byt e of t he flag regist er.

PUSHF − Used t o copy t he flag regist er at t he t op of t he st ack.

POPF − Used t o copy a word at t he t op of t he st ack t o t he flag regist er.

Arithmetic Instructions
These inst ruct ions are used t o perform arit hmet ic operat ions like addit ion, subt ract ion,
mult iplicat ion, division, et c.

Following is t he list of inst ruct ions under t his group −

Instructions to perform addition

ADD − Used t o add t he provided byt e t o byt e/word t o word.

ADC − Used t o add wit h carry.

INC − Used t o increment t he provided byt e/word by 1.

AAA − Used t o adjust ASCII aft er addit ion.

DAA − Used t o adjust t he decimal aft er t he addit ion/subt ract ion operat ion.

Instructions to perform subtraction

SUB − Used t o subt ract t he byt e from byt e/word from word.
 SBB − Used t o perform subt ract ion wit h borrow.

DEC − Used t o decrement t he provided byt e/word by 1.

NPG − Used t o negat e each bit of t he provided byt e/word and add 1/2’s complement .
CMP − Used t o compare 2 provided byt e/word.

AAS − Used t o adjust ASCII codes aft er subt ract ion.

DAS − Used t o adjust decimal aft er subt ract ion.

Instruction to perform multiplication

MUL − Used t o mult iply unsigned byt e by byt e/word by word.

IMUL − Used t o mult iply signed byt e by byt e/word by word.

AAM − Used t o adjust ASCII codes aft er mult iplicat ion.

Instructions to perform division

DIV − Used t o divide t he unsigned word by byt e or unsigned double word by word.
IDIV − Used t o divide t he signed word by byt e or signed double word by word.

AAD − Used t o adjust ASCII codes aft er division.

CBW − Used t o fill t he upper byt e of t he word wit h t he copies of sign bit of t he lower
byt e.
CWD − Used t o fill t he upper word of t he double word wit h t he sign bit of t he lower word.

Bit Manipulation Instructions

These inst ruct ions are used t o perform operat ions where dat a bit s are involved, i.e. operat ions like
logical, shift , et c.

Following is t he list of inst ruct ions under t his group −

Instructions to perform logical operation

NOT − Used t o invert each bit of a byt e or word.

AND − Used for adding each bit in a byt e/word wit h t he corresponding bit in anot her
byt e/word.
 OR − Used t o mult iply each bit in a byt e/word wit h t he corresponding bit in anot her
byt e/word.
XOR − Used t o perform Exclusive-OR operat ion over each bit in a byt e/word wit h t he
corresponding bit in anot her byt e/word.
TEST − Used t o add operands t o updat e flags, wit hout affect ing operands.

Instructions to perform shift operations

SHL/SAL − Used t o shift bit s of a byt e/word t owards left and put zero(S) in LSBs.
SHR − Used t o shift bit s of a byt e/word t owards t he right and put zero(S) in MSBs.

SAR − Used t o shift bit s of a byt e/word t owards t he right and copy t he old MSB int o t he
new MSB.

Instructions to perform rotate operations

ROL − Used t o rot at e bit s of byt e/word t owards t he left , i.e. MSB t o LSB and t o Carry
Flag [CF].
ROR − Used t o rot at e bit s of byt e/word t owards t he right , i.e. LSB t o MSB and t o Carry
Flag [CF].
RCR − Used t o rot at e bit s of byt e/word t owards t he right , i.e. LSB t o CF and CF t o MSB.
RCL − Used t o rot at e bit s of byt e/word t owards t he left , i.e. MSB t o CF and CF t o LSB.

String Instructions
St ring is a group of byt es/words and t heir memory is always allocat ed in a sequent ial order.

Following is t he list of inst ruct ions under t his group −

REP − Used t o repeat t he given inst ruct ion t ill CX ≠ 0.

REPE/REPZ − Used t o repeat t he given inst ruct ion unt il CX = 0 or zero flag ZF = 1.
REPNE/REPNZ − Used t o repeat t he given inst ruct ion unt il CX = 0 or zero flag ZF = 1.
MOVS/MOVSB/MOVSW − Used t o move t he byt e/word from one st ring t o anot her.

COMS/COMPSB/COMPSW − Used t o compare t wo st ring byt es/words.

INS/INSB/INSW − Used as an input st ring/byt e/word from t he I/O port t o t he provided
memory locat ion.
 OUTS/OUTSB/OUTSW − Used as an out put st ring/byt e/word from t he provided memory
locat ion t o t he I/O port .

SCAS/SCASB/SCASW − Used t o scan a st ring and compare it s byt e wit h a byt e in AL or

st ring word wit h a word in AX.

LODS/LODSB/LODSW − Used t o st ore t he st ring byt e int o AL or st ring word int o AX.

Program Execution Transfer Instructions (Branch and Loop

Instructions)
These inst ruct ions are used t o t ransfer/branch t he inst ruct ions during an execut ion. It includes
t he following inst ruct ions −

Inst ruct ions t o t ransfer t he inst ruct ion during an execut ion wit hout any condit ion −

CALL − Used t o call a procedure and save t heir ret urn address t o t he st ack.
RET − Used t o ret urn from t he procedure t o t he main program.

JMP − Used t o jump t o t he provided address t o proceed t o t he next inst ruct ion.

Inst ruct ions t o t ransfer t he inst ruct ion during an execut ion wit h some condit ions −

JA/JNBE − Used t o jump if above/not below/equal inst ruct ion sat isfies.

JAE/JNB − Used t o jump if above/not below inst ruct ion sat isfies.
JBE/JNA − Used t o jump if below/equal/ not above inst ruct ion sat isfies.
JC − Used t o jump if carry flag CF = 1

JE/JZ − Used t o jump if equal/zero flag ZF = 1

JG/JNLE − Used t o jump if great er/not less t han/equal inst ruct ion sat isfies.
JGE/JNL − Used t o jump if great er t han/equal/not less t han inst ruct ion sat isfies.

JL/JNGE − Used t o jump if less t han/not great er t han/equal inst ruct ion sat isfies.
JLE/JNG − Used t o jump if less t han/equal/if not great er t han inst ruct ion sat isfies.
JNC − Used t o jump if no carry flag (CF = 0)

JNE/JNZ − Used t o jump if not equal/zero flag ZF = 0

JNO − Used t o jump if no overflow flag OF = 0
JNP/JPO − Used t o jump if not parit y/parit y odd PF = 0

JNS − Used t o jump if not sign SF = 0

JO − Used t o jump if overflow flag OF = 1
 JP/JPE − Used t o jump if parit y/parit y even PF = 1

JS − Used t o jump if sign flag SF = 1

Processor Control Instructions

These inst ruct ions are used t o cont rol t he processor act ion by set t ing/reset t ing t he flag values.

Following are t he inst ruct ions under t his group −

STC − Used t o set carry flag CF t o 1

CLC − Used t o clear/reset carry flag CF t o 0
CMC − Used t o put complement at t he st at e of carry flag CF.

STD − Used t o set t he direct ion flag DF t o 1

CLD − Used t o clear/reset t he direct ion flag DF t o 0
STI − Used t o set t he int errupt enable flag t o 1, i.e., enable INTR input .

CLI − Used t o clear t he int errupt enable flag t o 0, i.e., disable INTR input .

Iteration Control Instructions

These inst ruct ions are used t o execut e t he given inst ruct ions for number of t imes. Following is
t he list of inst ruct ions under t his group −

LOOP − Used t o loop a group of inst ruct ions unt il t he condit ion sat isfies, i.e., CX = 0

LOOPE/LOOPZ − Used t o loop a group of inst ruct ions t ill it sat isfies ZF = 1 & CX = 0
LOOPNE/LOOPNZ − Used t o loop a group of inst ruct ions t ill it sat isfies ZF = 0 & CX = 0

JCXZ − Used t o jump t o t he provided address if CX = 0

Interrupt Instructions
These inst ruct ions are used t o call t he int errupt during program execut ion.
INT − Used t o int errupt t he program during execut ion and calling service specified.
INTO − Used t o int errupt t he program during execut ion if OF = 1

IRET − Used t o ret urn from int errupt service t o t he main program