Introduction

Chapter 1
S. Dandamudi
 Outline
• A user’s view of computer • Why program in assembly
systems language?
• What is assembly language? – Time-efficiency
– Relationship to machine – Space-efficiency
language – Accessibility to hardware
• Advantages of high-level • Typical applications
languages • Why learn assembly
– Faster program development language?
– Easier maintenance
– Portability
2005
To be used with S. Dandamudi,
“Introduction to Assembly
Language Programming,”
Second Edition, Springer, S. Dandamudi Chapter 1: Page 2
2005.
 A User’s View of Computer Systems
(cont’d)

2005
To be used with S. Dandamudi,
“Introduction to Assembly
Language Programming,”
Second Edition, Springer, S. Dandamudi Chapter 1: Page 3
2005.
 A User’s View of Computer Systems
• Depends on the degree of abstraction provided
by the underlying software
• We consider a hierarchy of five levels
– Moving to the top of hierarchy shields the user from
the lower-level details
– The top two levels are system independent
– The lower four levels are system dependent
• Assembly and machine languages are specific to a particular
processor
• One-to-one correspondence between assembly language
2005 and machine language
To be used with S. Dandamudi,
“Introduction to Assembly
S. Dandamudi Chapter 1: Page 4
Language Programming,”
 What Is Assembly Language?
• Low-level language
• Each instruction performs a much lower-level task compared to a
high-level language instruction
• One-to-one correspondence between assembly
language and machine language instructions
• For most assembly language instructions, there is a machine
language equivalent
• Assembler translates assembly language instructions to machine
language instructions
• Directly influenced by the instruction set and
2005 architecture of the processor (CPU)
To be used with S. Dandamudi,
“Introduction to Assembly
S. Dandamudi Chapter 1: Page 5
Language Programming,”
 What Is Assembly Language?
(Cont’d)
• Some example assembly language instructions:
inc result MIPS Examples
andi $t2,$t1,15
mov class_size,45
addu $t3,$t1,$t2
and mask1,128
move $t2,$t1
add marks,10
• Some points to note:
• Assembly language instructions are cryptic
• Mnemonics are used for operations
– inc for increment, mov for move (i.e., copy)
• Assembly language instructions are low level
– Cannot write instructions such as
mov marks, value
2005
To be used with S. Dandamudi,
“Introduction to Assembly
S. Dandamudi Chapter 1: Page 6
Language Programming,”
 What Is Assembly Language?
(Cont’d)
• Some simple high-level language instructions
can be expressed by a single assembly
instruction
Assembly Language C
inc result result++;
mov class_size,45 class_size = 45;
and mask1,128 mask1 &= 128;
add marks,10 marks += 10;
2005
To be used with S. Dandamudi,
“Introduction to Assembly
S. Dandamudi Chapter 1: Page 7
Language Programming,”
 What Is Assembly Language?
(Cont’d)
• Most high-level language instructions need more
than one assembly instruction
C Assembly Language

size = value; mov AX,value

mov size,AX

sum += x + y + z; mov AX,sum

add AX,x
add AX,y
add AX,z
2005
mov sum,AX
To be used with S. Dandamudi,
“Introduction to Assembly
S. Dandamudi Chapter 1: Page 8
Language Programming,”
 What Is Assembly Language?
(Cont’d)
• Readability of assembly language instructions is
much better than the machine language
instructions
• Machine language instructions are a sequence of 1s and 0s

Assembly Language Machine Language

(in Hex)
inc result FF060A00
mov class_size,45 C7060C002D00
and mask,128 80260E0080
2005
add
To be used with S. Dandamudi,
marks,10 83060F000A
“Introduction to Assembly
S. Dandamudi Chapter 1: Page 9
Language Programming,”
 What Is Assembly Language?
(Cont’d)
• MIPS examples

Assembly Language Machine Language

(in Hex)
nop 00000000
move $t2,$t15 000A2021
andi $t2,$t1,15 312A000F
addu $t3,$t1,$t2 012A5821
2005
To be used with S. Dandamudi,
“Introduction to Assembly
S. Dandamudi Chapter 1: Page 10
Language Programming,”
 Advantages of High-level
Languages
• Program development is faster
• High-level instructions
– Fewer instructions to code

• Programs maintenance is easier

• For the same reasons as above
• Programs are portable
• Contain few machine-dependent details
– Can be used with little or no modifications on different types of
machines
• Compiler translates to the target machine language
• Assembly language programs are not portable
2005
S. Dandamudi Chapter 1: Page 11
To be used with S. Dandamudi,
 Why Program in Assembly
Language?
• Two main reasons:
– Efficiency
• Space-efficiency
• Time-efficiency
– Accessibility to system hardware
• Space-efficiency
– Assembly code tends to be compact
• Time-efficiency
– Assembly language programs tend to run faster
• Only a well-written assembly language program runs faster
– Easy to write an assembly program that runs slower than its high-
2005
level language equivalent
To be used with S. Dandamudi,
“Introduction to Assembly
S. Dandamudi Chapter 1: Page 12
Language Programming,”
 Typical Applications
• Application that need one of the three advantages of the
assembly language
1. Time-efficiency
– Time-convenience
• Good to have but not required for functional correctness
– Graphics
– Time-critical
• Necessary to satisfy functionality
• Real-time applications
– Aircraft navigational systems
– Process control systems
– Robot control software
2005 – Missile control software
To be used with S. Dandamudi,
“Introduction to Assembly
S. Dandamudi Chapter 1: Page 13
Language Programming,”
 Typical Applications (cont’d)
2. Accessibility to system hardware
– System software typically requires direct control of the
system hardware devices
• Assemblers, linkers, compilers
• Network interfaces, device drivers
• Video games
3. Space-efficiency
– Not a big plus point for most applications
– Code compactness is important in some cases
– Portable and hand-held device software
– Spacecraft control software
. S. Dandamudi Chapter 1: Page 14
 Why Learn Assembly Language?
• Some applications require programming in assembly
language
• Typically only a small part of an application is coded in assembly
language (rest written in a high-level language)
– Such programs are called mixed mode programs

• Assembly language can be used as a tool to learn

computer organization
• You will know more about the organization and internal workings
of a computer system
• Personal satisfaction of learning something
2005 complicated and useful
To be used with S. Dandamudi,
“Introduction to Assembly
S. Dandamudi Chapter 1: Page 15
Language Programming,”