INSTRUCTION SET of

8086
 8086
Microprocessor Instruction Set

8086 supports 6 types of instructions.

1. Data Transfer Instructions

2. Arithmetic Instructions

3. Logical Instructions

4. String manipulation Instructions

5. Process Control Instructions

6. Control Transfer Instructions

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 8086
Microprocessor Instruction Set

1. Data Transfer Instructions

Instructions that are used to transfer data/ address in to
registers, memory locations and I/O ports.

Generally involve two operands: Source operand and

Destination operand of the same size.

Source: Register or a memory location or an immediate

data
Destination : Register or a memory location.

The size should be a either a byte or a word.

A 8-bit data can only be moved to 8-bit register/ memory

and a 16-bit data can be moved to 16-bit register/
memory.
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 1. Data Transfer Instructions

• MOV Destination, Source

• XCHG Destination, Source
• PUSH Source (16 bit)
• POP Destination(16 Bit)
• IN Accumulator, Port
• OUT Port, Accumulator
• XLAT – Translate a byte in AL
• LEA 16 bit register, Source
• LDS 16 bit Register, Memory address of the first
word
• LAHF
• SAHF
• PUSHF
• POPF
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 Data Transfer

• MOV Destination, Source

• Operation:
• Destination  Source
• The source can be a register, a memory
location or an immediate number.
• The destination can be a register or a
memory location.
• The source and destination cannot both be
memory locations

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• MOV CX, 037AH ; Put immediate number 037AH to CX
• MOV BL, [437AH] ; Copy byte in DS at offset 437AH to BL
• MOV AX, BX ; Copy content of register BX to AX
• MOV DL, [BX] ; Copy byte from memory at [BX] to DL
• MOV DS, BX ; Copy word from BX to DS register

• MOV DS, 1234H

• Immediate data can not move to segment register
• MOV [BX] ,[2500H]
• The source and destination cannot both be memory
locations
• CS register may not be altered by a MOV
instruction
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• XCHG Destination, Source

• The XCHG instruction exchanges the

content of a register with the content
of another register or with the
content of memory location(s).
• It cannot directly exchange the
content of two memory locations
• The segment registers cannot be
used in this instruction.

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• XCHG AX, DX
• Exchange word in AX with word in DX

• XCHG BL, CH
• Exchange byte in BL with byte in CH

• XCHG AL, PRICES [BX]

• Exchange byte in AL with byte in memory

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 STACK RELATED INSTRUCTIONS

• PUSH Source (16 bit)

• The PUSH instruction decrements the
stack pointer by 2 and copies a word
from a specified source to the
location in the stack segment to
which the stack pointer points.
• The source of the word can be
general-purpose register, segment
register, or memory

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• Operation
• SP  SP – 2
• SS:[SP]  LSB of source
• SS:[SP+1]  MSB of source
• Examples
• PUSH BX
• Decrement SP by 2, copy BX to stack.
• PUSH DS
• Decrement SP by 2, copy DS to stack.
• PUSH BL Illegal; must push a word

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• POP Destination(16 Bit)
• The POP instruction copies a word
from the stack location pointed by the
stack pointer to a destination specified
in the instruction

• Operation
• LSB of destination  SS:[SP]
• MSB od destination  SS:[SP+1]
• SP  SP+2

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• Examples

• POP DX
• Copy a word from top of stack to DX;
increment SP by 2
• POP DS
• Copy a word from top of stack to DS;
increment SP by 2
• POP [8000H]
• Copy a word from top of stack to
memory
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• PUSHF
• (PUSH FLAG REGISTER TO STACK)

• POPF
• (POP WORD FROM TOP OF STACK TO
FLAG REGISTER)

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 INPUT-OUTPUT INSTRUCTIONS

• IN Accumulator, Port

• IN instruction copies data from a port

to the AL or AX register

• IN instruction has two possible

formats, fixed port and variable port.
For fixed port type, the 8-bit address
of a port is specified directly in the
instruction
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• Operation:
• AL  [Port] for byte
• AL  [Port] and AH  [Port+1] for word
• Fixed Port type (8 bit port address)
• Port address is directly specified in the
instruction
• Examples
• IN AL,80H
• Input a byte from port whose address is 80H
• IN AX,80H
• Input a word from port whose address is
80H
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• Variable Port type
• The 16 bit port address is specified in DX
register only
• Examples
• MOV DX ,8000H
• IN AL,DX
• Input a byte from port whose address is in
DX to AL
• IN AX,DX
• Input a word from port whose address is in
DX to AX

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• OUT Port, Accumulator
• The OUT instruction copies a byte from AL or
a word from AX to the specified port.
• Operation:

• [Port]  AL for byte

• [Port]  AL and [Port+1]AH for word

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• Examples
• In fixed port type

• OUT 80H,AL
• Copy the contents of AL to port 80H

• OUT 80H,AX
• Copy the contents of AX to port 80H

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• Variable port type
• MOV DX,8000H
• Intialise DX with 16 bit port address

• OUT DX,AL
• Copy the contents of AL to port

• OUT DX,AX
• Copy the contents of AX to port

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• XLAT – Translate a byte in AL
• The instruction replaces a byte in AL register
with a byte pointed by BX in a lookup table in
the memory.
• The XLAT instruction adds the byte in AL to
the offset of the start of the table in BX.
• It then copies the byte from the address pointed
to by (BX + AL) back into AL.
• Operation:
• AL  DS:[BX + AL]

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• LEA 16 bit register, Source
• (Load Effective Address)
• This instruction determines the offset of the variable
or memory location named as the source and puts
this offset in the indicated 16-bit register.

• Loads the destination register with

effective address of the source

• Used to access array elements by its

base address
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• Examples

• LEA BX, ARRAY

• Load BX with the offset of variable ARRAY

• LEA SI,LIST
• Load SI with the offset of variable LIST

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• LDS 16 bit Register, Memory address
of the first word
• The word from two memory locations is
copied into the specified register and

• the word from the next two memory

locations is copied into the DS registers.
• Operation:
• 16 bit register  [memory address]
• DS [memory address +2]

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• Example
• LDS BX, [4326]
• Copy content of memory location
4326H to BL,content of 4327H to BH

Copy content of memory location

4328H and 4329H in to DS register.

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• Example
• LES BX, [4326]
• Copy content of memory location
4326H to BL,content of 4327H to BH

Copy content of memory location

4328H and 4329H in to ES register.

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• LAHF (COPY LOW BYTE OF FLAG REGISTER
TO AH REGISTER)
• The LAHF instruction copies the low-byte of
the 8086 flag register to AH register

• SAHF (COPY AH REGISTER TO LOW BYTE OF

FLAG REGISTER)
• The SAHF instruction replaces the low-byte
of the 8086 flag register with a byte from
the AH register.

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 ARITHMETIC INSTRUCTIONS

• ADD Destination, Source

• Operation:
• Destination  Source + Destination
• ADD AL,25H
• ADD AX,BX
• ADD AL,[SI]
• ADC Destination, Source
• Operation
• Destination  Source + Destination + CF

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 ARITHMETIC INSTRUCTIONS

• SUB Destination, Source

• Operation:
• Destination  Destination - Source
• SUB AL,25H
• SUB AX,BX
• SUB AL,[SI]
• SBB Destination, Source
• Operation
• Destination  Destination –Source - CF

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• INC Destination
• The INC instruction adds 1 to a specified
register or to a memory location
• INC BL
• Add 1 to contains of BL register
• INC CX
• Add 1 to contains of CX register
• INC BYTE PTR [BX]
• Increment byte in data segment at offset
contained in BX.
• INC WORD PTR [BX]
• Increment word in data segment at offset
contained in BX. 35
• DEC Destination
• This instruction subtracts 1 from the
destination word or byte. The destination
can be a register or a memory location.
• DEC CL
• Subtract 1 from content of CL register
• DEC BP
• Subtract 1 from content of BP register
• DEC BYTE PTR [BX]
• Subtract 1 from byte at offset [BX] in DS.
• DEC WORD PTR [BX]
• Subtract 1 from a word at offset [BX] in DS.

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• CMP Destination, Source
• This instruction compares a byte / word in the
specified source with a byte / word in the
specified destination.

• The source can be an immediate number, a

register, or a memory location.

• The destination can be a register or a memory

location.

• However, the source and the destination cannot

both be memory locations.
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• The comparison is actually done by
subtracting the source byte or word
from the destination byte or word

• The source and the destination are not

changed, but the flags are set to
indicate the results of the comparison.

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• Operation
• a)If destination > source then
• CF=0, ZF=0, SF=0

• b)If destination < source then

• CF=1, ZF=0, SF=1

• c) If destination = source then

• CF=0, ZF=1, SF=0

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• DAA (Decimal Adjust Accumulator)
• (DECIMAL ADJUST AFTER BCD ADDITION)

• This instruction is used to convert the result of the

addition of two packed BCD numbers to a valid BCD
number

• DAA works on only AL register

• So DAA instruction must be used after the

ADD/ADC instruction

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• Operation
• a)If lower nibble of AL>9 or AF=1
• then AL=AL+06

• b)If higher nibble of AL>9 or CF=1

• then AL=AL+60

• c)If both above condition are satisfied

• Then AL=AL+66

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• Examples:

• Let AL = 59 BCD, and BL = 35 BCD

• ADD AL, BL ; AL = 8EH; lower nibble > 9, add 06H to AL
• DAA ; AL = 94 BCD, CF = 0

• Let AL = 88 BCD, and BL = 49 BCD

• ADD AL, BL ;AL = D1H; AF = 1, add 06H to AL
• DAA ;AL = D7H; upper nibble > 9, add 60H to AL
;AL = 37 BCD, CF = 1

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• DAS (DECIMAL ADJUST AFTER BCD SUBTRACTION)
• This instruction is used after subtracting one
packed BCD number from another packed BCD
number, to make sure the result is correct packed
BCD
• Operation:
a)If lower nibble of AL>9 or AF=1
then AL=AL-06
b)If higher nibble of AL>9 or CF=1
then AL=AL-60
c)If both above condition are satisfied
then AL=AL-66

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• Examples
• Let AL = 86 BCD, and BH = 57 BCD
• SUB AL,BL ; AL = 2FH; lower nibble > 9, subtract 06H
• from AL

• DAS ;AL = 29 BCD, CF = 0

• Let AL = 49 BCD, and BH = 72 BCD

• SUB AL, BH ;AL = D7H; upper nibble > 9, subtract 60H
• from AL
• DAS ; AL = 77 BCD, CF = 1 (borrow is needed)

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• NEG Destination
• This instruction replaces the number in a
destination with its 2’s complement.
• The destination can be a register or a
memory location
• NEG AL ;Replace number in AL with its 2’s complement
• NEG BX ; Replace number in BX with its 2’complement

• NEG BYTE PTR [BX]

;Replace byte at offset BX in DS with its 2’s complement

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• MUL Source
• This instruction multiplies an unsigned byte in
some source with an unsigned byte in AL
register
• or an unsigned word in some source with an
unsigned word in AX register
• The source can be a register or a memory
location.

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• Operation:
• a)If source is byte then
• AX  AL* Unsigned 8 bit source
b)If source is word then
• DX:AX AX* Unsigned 16 bit source
• MUL BH ;Multiply AL with BH; result in AX
MUL CX ;Multiply AX with CX; result high
word in DX, low word in AX
MUL BYTE PTR [BX] ;Multiply AL with byte
in DS pointed by [BX]

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• IMUL Source
• This instruction multiplies a signed byte from
source with a signed byte in AL
• or a signed word from some source with a
signed word in AX.
• The source can be a register or a memory
location
• IMUL BH

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• DIV Source
• This instruction is used to divide an
unsigned word by a byte
• or to divide an unsigned double word
(32 bits) by a word.

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• Operation:
• a)If source is Byte then,
• AL  AX/ unsigned 8 bit source (Quotient)
• AH  AX MOD unsigned 8 bit source
(Remainder)
b)If source is Word then,
AX  DX:AX/unsigned 16 bit source (Q)
DX  DX:AX MOD unsigned 16bit source(R)

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• Examples
• DIV BL
• Divide word in AX by byte in BL; Quotient in
AL, Remainder in AH

• DIV CX
• Divide double word in DX and AX by word in
CX;
• Quotient in AX, and Remainder in DX.
• IDIV Source
• This instruction is used to divide a signed word
by a signed byte, or to divide a signed double
word by a signed word.

• IDIV BL ;Signed word in AX/signed byte in BL

• IDIV BYTE PTR [BX]

• CBW (CONVERT SIGNED BYTE TO SIGNED WORD)
• This instruction copies the sign bit of the byte in AL to all the
bits in AH.
• AH is then said to be the sign extension of AL

• Let AX = 00000000 10011011 (–155 decimal)

• CBW
• Convert signed byte in AL to signed word in AX
• AX = 11111111 10011011 (–155 decimal)
• CWD (CONVERT SIGNED WORD TO SIGNED DOUBLE
WORD)
• This instruction copies the sign bit of a word in AX to all the bits
of the DX register.
• In other words, it extends the sign of AX into all bits of DX.

• Let DX = 00000000 00000000, and

AX = 11110000 11000111
• CWD
• Convert signed word in AX to signed double
word in DX:AX
• DX = 11111111 11111111
• AX = 11110000 11000111
 LOGICAL INSTRUCTIONS
• AND Destination, Source
• This instruction ANDs each bit in a source byte or
word with the same numbered bit in a destination
byte or word.
• The result is put in the specified destination.
• The source can be an immediate number, the content
of a register, or the content of a memory location.
• The destination can be a register or a memory
location
• The source and the destination cannot both be
memory locations.
• OR Destination, Source
• This instruction ORs each bit in a source byte or
word with the same numbered bit in a
destination byte or word.
• The result is put in the specified destination.

• Example: OR AX,BX
• XOR Destination, Source
• This instruction Exclusive-ORs each bit in a
source byte or word with the same numbered bit
in a destination byte or word.
• The result is put in the specified destination

• NOT Destination
• The NOT instruction inverts each bit (forms the
1’s complement) of a byte or word in the
specified destination.
• The destination can be a register or a memory
location
• TEST Destination, Source
• This instruction ANDs the byte / word in
the specified source with the byte / word in
the specified destination.
• Flags are updated, but neither operand is
changed.
• TEST AL, BH ;AND BH with AL. No result
stored; Update PF, SF, ZF.
• TEST CX, 0001H AND CX with immediate
number 0001H;
• No result stored; Update PF, SF, ZF
 SHIFT and ROTATE Instructions
• SAL Destination, Count
• SHL Destination, Count
• SAL and SHL are two mnemonics for the same
instruction.
• This instruction shifts each bit in the specified
destination some number of bit positions to the left.
• As a bit is shifted out of the LSB operation, a 0 is
put in the LSB position.
• The MSB will be shifted into CF.
• SAL BX, 1 ;Shift word in BX 1 bit position left, 0 in LSB
• MOV CL, 02h ;Load desired number of shifts in CL
• SAL BP, CL ;Shift word in BP left CL bit positions, 0 in LSBs
Branch instructions
 Control Transfer Instructions

• Conditional Jumps
• Short Jump
– All conditional jumps are short jump
– The address of the target must be within –128 to +127 bytes
of the IP
 Control Transfer Instructions
• NEAR – When control transferred to a memory location
within the current code segment

• FAR – When control is transferred outside the current code

segment

• CS:IP – This register always points to the address of the next

instruction to be executed.
• In a NEAR jump, IP is updated, CS remains the same
• In a FAR jump, both CS and IP are updated
• Jump Instruction

• JMP (Jump) unconditionally transfers

control to the target location
• JMP is a one-way transfer of
execution
• it does not save a return address on
the stack

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• If target of JMP is in the same code
segment only IP to be changed to transfer
control to the target location
• Such jump is called as intra-segment jump
or near jump
• If target of jump is in different code
Segment, then IP & CS will be changed
• Such a jump is called as far or inter-
segment jump
• Examples
• JMP Down
• JMP FAR PTR SKIP

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 8086
Microprocessor Instruction Set

Control Transfer Instructions

 8086 conditional branch instructions affecting individual

flags
Mnemonics Explanation

JC disp8 Jump if CF = 1

JNC disp8 Jump if CF = 0

JP disp8 Jump if PF = 1

JNP disp8 Jump if PF = 0

JO disp8 Jump if OF = 1

JNO disp8 Jump if OF = 0

JS disp8 Jump if SF = 1

JNS disp8 Jump if SF = 0

JZ disp8 Jump if result is zero, i.e, Z = 1

JNZ disp8 Jump if result is not zero, i.e, Z = 1

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 Unconditional control Transfer

• CALL a procedure
• Used to call a procedure and save
their return address to the stack.
• The CALL instruction is used to
transfer execution to a subprogram
or a procedure.
• There two basic type of calls near
and far.

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• Operation:

• 1.If NEAR CALL then

• SP  SP-2
• Save IP on stack
• IP  address of procedure

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• If FAR CALL then
• SP  SP-2
• Save CS on stack
• CS  New segment base address of
• the called procedure
• SP  SP-2
• Save IP on stack
• IP  New offset address of the
• called procedure

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• RET (RETURN EXECUTION FROM PROCEDURE TO
CALLING PROGRAM)
• The RET instruction will return execution from a
procedure to the next instruction after the CALL
instruction in the calling program
• Operation:
• 1)For NEAR Return
• IP  contents of top of stack
• SP  SP+2
• 2)For FAR Return
• IP  contents of top of stack
• SP  SP+2
• CS  contents of top of stack
• SP  SP+2
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 Iteration Control Instructions
• LOOP (JUMP TO SPECIFIED LABEL IF CX ≠ 0
AFTER AUTO DECREMENT)
• This instruction is used to repeat a series of
instructions some number of times.
• Each time the LOOP instruction executes,
CX is automatically decremented by 1.
• If CX is not 0, execution will jump to a
destination specified by a label in the
instruction.
• If CX = 0 after the auto decrement,
execution will simply go on to the next
instruction after LOOP.
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89
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• Example:
• LEA SI,ARRAY
• MOV AL,00H
• MOV CX,10H ;Counter loaded
• Up: ADD AL,[SI]
• INC SI
• LOOP UP DEC CX
JNZ UP

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• LOOPE / LOOPZ (LOOP WHILE CX ≠
0 AND ZF = 1)
• This instruction is used to repeat a group of
instructions some number of times, or until
the zero flag becomes 0.
• The number of times the instruction
sequence is to be repeated is loaded into
CX.

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• Each time the LOOP instruction
executes, CX is automatically
decremented by 1.
• If CX ≠ 0 and ZF = 1, execution will
jump to a destination specified by a
label in the instruction.
• If CX = 0, execution simply go on the
next instruction after LOOPE / LOOPZ.
• In other words, the two ways to exit
the loop are CX = 0 or ZF = 0.

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• LOOPNE / LOOPNZ (LOOP WHILE CX ≠ 0
AND ZF = 0)
• This instruction is used to repeat a group of
instructions some number of times, or until
the zero flag becomes a 1.

• Each time the LOOPNE / LOOPNZ instruction

executes, CX is automatically decremented
by 1.

• If CX ≠ 0 and ZF = 0, execution will jump to

a destination specified by a label in the
instruction.
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• If CX = 0, after the auto decrement or
if ZF = 1, execution simply go on the
next instruction after
LOOPNE / LOOPNZ.

• In other words, the two ways to exit

the loop are CX = 0 or ZF = 1.

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