8086 INSTRUCTION FORMATS 1

UNIT 2. Instruction Format:

The 8086 instruction sizes vary from one to six bytes. Depending on the type of coding, an
instruction may have more than one Hexcode, (not unique as in 8085)

The OP code field occupies 6-bits.It defines the operation to be carried out by the instruction.

Register Direct bit (D) occupies one bit. It defines whether the register operand in byte 2 is the
source or destination operand.
D=1 Specifies that the register operand is the destination operand.
D=0 indicates that the register is a source operand.
Data size bit (W) defines whether the operation to be performed is an 8 bit or 16 bit data

W=0 indicates 8 bit operation

W=1 indicates 16 bit operation
7 2 1 0 7 6 5 43 210 Byte 3 Byte 4

Opcode D W MOD REG R/M Low High

Disp/ DATA Disp/ DATA

Byte 1 Byte 2 OR
DIRECT DIRECT
ADDRESS LOW ADDRESS HIGH
BYTE BYTE

Register Operand/Register to use EA

Calculation
Register Operand/Extension of
opcode

Register mode/Memory mode with

displacement length
Word/byte
operation

Direction is to register/from register

Operation code
The second byte of the instruction usually identifies whether one of the operands is in memory or
whether both are registers.
MOD Interpretation
(2 This
bits) byte contains 3 fields. These are the mode (MOD) field, the register (REG) field and the
00 Register/Memory
Memory mode(R/M) field.
with no displacement follows except for 16 bit displacement when R/M=110
01 Memory mode with 8 bit displacement
10 Memory mode with 16 bit displacement
11 Register mode (no displacement)

Register field occupies 3 bits. It defines the register for the first operand which is specified as
source or destination by the D bit.

Register Codes:
 8086 INSTRUCTION FORMATS 2

REG W=0 W=1

000 AL AX
001 CL CX
010 DL DX
011 BL BX
100 AH SP
101 CH BP
110 DH SI
111 BH DI
The R/M field occupies 3 bits. The R/M field along with the MOD field defines the
second operand as shown below.
MOD 11
R/M W=0 W=1
000 AL AX
001 CL CX
010 DL DX
011 BL BX
100 AH SP
101 CH BP
110 DH SI
111 BH DI

Effective Address Calculation

R/M MOD=00 MOD 01 MOD 10
000 (BX) + (SI) (BX)+(SI)+D8 (BX)+(SI)+D16
001 (BX)+(DI) (BX)+(DI)+D8 (BX)+(DI)+D16
010 (BP)+(SI) (BP)+(SI)+D8 (BP)+(SI)+D16
011 (BP)+(DI) (BP)+(DI)+D8 (BP)+(DI)+D10
100 (SI) (SI) + D8 (SI) + D16
101 (DI) (DI) + D8 (DI) + D16
110 Direct address (BP) + D8 (BP) + D16
111 BX (BX) + D8 (BX) + D16

In the above, encoding of the R/M field depends on how the mode field is set. If MOD=11
(register to register mode), this R/M identifies the second register operand.

MOD / R/M Memory Mode (EA Calculation) Register Mode

00 01 10 W=0 W=1
000 (BX)+(SI) (BX)+(SI)+d8 (BX)+(SI)+d16 AL AX
001 (BX) + (DI) (BX)+(DI)+d8 (BX)+(DI)+d16 CL CX
010 (BP)+(SI) (BP)+(SI)+d8 (BP)+(SI)+d16 DL DX
011 (BP)+(DI) (BP)+(DI)+d8 (BP)+(DI)+d16 BL BX
100 (SI) (SI) + d8 (SI) + d16 AH SP
101 (DI) (DI) + d8 (DI) + d16 CH BP
110 d16 (BP) + d8 (BP) + d16 DH SI
111 (BX) (BX) + d8 (BX) + d16 BH DI

MOD selects memory mode, then R/M indicates how the effective address of the memory
operand is to be calculated. Bytes 3 through 6 of an instruction are optional fields that
 8086 INSTRUCTION FORMATS 3

normally contain the displacement value of a memory operand and / or the actual value
of an immediate constant operand.
Obtain the opcodes for the following instructions.

Example 1 : Code for MOV CH, BL

This instruction transfers 8 bit content of BL into CH
The 6 bit Opcode for this instruction is 1000102 D bit indicates whether the register specified by the
REG field of byte 2 is a source or destination operand.

D=0 indicates BL is a source operand.

W=0 byte operation
In byte 2, since the second operand is a register MOD field is 11 2 . The
R/M field = 101 (CH)
Register (REG) field = 011 (BL)
Hence the machine code for MOV CH, BL is
10001000 11 011 101
Byte 1 Byte2
= 88DDH

Example 2: Code for SUB BX, (DI)

This instruction subtracts the 16 bit content of memory location addressed by DI and DS from Bx.
The 6 bit Opcode for SUB is 0010102.
D=1 so that REG field of byte 2 is the destination operand. W=1 indicates 16 bit operation.
MOD = 00
REG = 011
R/M = 101
The machine code is 0010 1011 0001 1101
2 B 1 D

Example 3 : Code for MOV 1234 (BP), DX

Here we have specify DX using REG field, the D bit must be 0, indicating the DX is the
source register. The REG field must be 010 to indicate DX register. The W bit must be 1 to
indicate it is a word operation. 1234 [BP] is specified using MOD value of 10 and R/M
value of 110 and a displacement of 1234H. The 4 byte code for this instruction would be 89
96 34 12H.

Opcode D W MOD REG R/M LB displacement HB displacement

100010 0 1 10 010 110 34H 12H

Example 4 : Code for MOV DS : 2345 [BP], DX

Here we have to specify DX using REG field. The D bit must be 0, indicating that Dx is the source
register. The REG field must be 010 to indicate DX register. The w bit must be 1 to indicate it is a
word operation. 2345 [BP] is specified with MOD=10 and R/M = 110 and displacement = 2345 H.

Whenever BP is used to generate the Effective Address (EA), the default segment would
be SS. In this example, we want the segment register to be DS, we have to provide the
 8086 INSTRUCTION FORMATS 4

segment override prefix byte (SOP byte) to start with. The SOP byte is 001 xx 110, where
SR value is provided as per table shown below.

xx Segment register
00 ES
01 CS
10 SS
11 DS
To specify DS register, the SOP byte would be 001 11 110 = 3E H. Thus the 5 byte code for this
instruction would be 3E 89 96 45 23 H.
SOP Opcode D W MOD REG R/M LB disp. HD disp.
3EH 1000 10 0 1 10 010 110 45 23
Suppose we want to code MOV SS : 2345 (BP), DX. This generates only a 4 byte code, without
SOP byte, as SS is already the default segment register in this case.

Example 5:
Give the instruction template and generate code for the instruction ADD 0FABE [BX], [DI],
DX (code for ADD instruction is 000000)

ADD 0FABE [BX] [DI], DX

Here we have to specify DX using REG field. The bit D is 0, indicating that DX is the
source register. The REG field must be 010 to indicate DX register. The w must be 1 to
indicate it is a word operation. FABE (BX + DI) is specified using MOD value of 10 and
R/M value of 001 (from the summary table). The 4 byte code for this instruction would be
Opcode D W MOD REG R/M 16 bit disp. =01 91 BE FAH
000000 0 1 10 010 001 BEH FAH

Example 6 :
Give the instruction template and generate the code for the instruction MOV AX, [BX]
(Code for MOV instruction is 100010)
AX destination register with D=1 and code for AX is 000 [BX] is specified using 00 Mode
and R/M value 111. It is a word operation

Opcode D W Mod REG R/M

=8B 07H
100010 1 1 00 000 111

INPUT/OUTPUT INSTRUCTIONS:
IN acc, port : In transfers a byte or a word from input port to the AL register or the AX
register respectively. The port number my be specified either with an immediate byte
constant, allowing access to ports numbered 0 through 255 or with a number previously
placed in the DX register allowing variable access (by changing the value in DX) to ports
numbered from 0 through 65,535.
In Operands Example
acc, immB IN AL, 0E2H (OR) IN AX, PORT
acc, DX IN AX, DX (OR) IN AL, DX
 8086 INSTRUCTION FORMATS 5

OUT port, acc : Out transfers a byte or a word from the AL register or the AX register
respectively to an output port. The port numbers may be specified either with an
immediate byte or with a number previously placed in the register DX allowing variable
access.

No flags are affected.

In Operands Example
Imm 8, acc OUT 32, AX (OR) OUT PORT, AL
DX, acc OUT DX, AL (OR) OUT DX, AX

I/O mode (direct) :

Port number is an 8 bit immediate operand.
Example : OUT 05 H, AL
Outputs [AL] to 8 bit port 05 H

I/O mode (indirect):

The port number is taken from DX.
Example 1 : INAL, DX
If [DX] = 5040
8 bit content by port 5040 is moved into AL.
Example 2 : IN AX, DX
Inputs 8 bit content of ports 5040 and 5041
into AL and AH respectively.