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Instruction Word Size in Microprocessor

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The 8085 instruction set is classified into 3 categories by considering the length of the instructions. In 8085, the length is measured in terms of “byte” rather than “word” because 8085 microprocessor has 8-bit data bus. Three types of instruction are: 1-byte instruction, 2-byte instruction, and 3-byte instruction. 

1. One-byte instructions – 
In 1-byte instruction, the opcode and the operand of an instruction are represented in one byte.

  • Example-1: Task- Copy the contents of accumulator in register B.
Mnemonic- MOV B, A
Opcode- MOV
Operand- B, A
Hex Code- 47H
Binary code- 0100 0111 
  • Example-2: Task- Add the contents of accumulator to the contents of register B.
 Mnemonic- ADD B
Opcode- ADD
Operand- B
Hex Code- 80H
Binary code- 1000 0000 
  • Example-3: Task- Invert (complement) each bit in the accumulator.
Mnemonic- CMA
Opcode- CMA
Operand-  NA
Hex Code- 2FH
Binary code- 0010 1111 

Note – The length of these instructions is 8-bit; each requires one memory location. The mnemonic is always followed by a letter (or two letters) representing the registers (such as A, B, C, D, E, H, L and SP). 

2. Two-byte instructions – 
Two-byte instruction is the type of instruction in which the first 8 bits indicates the opcode and the next 8 bits indicates the operand.

  • Example-1: Task- Load the hexadecimal data 32H in the accumulator.
Mnemonic- MVI A, 32H
Opcode- MVI
Operand- A, 32H
Hex Code- 3E
32
Binary code- 0011 1110
0011 0010 
  • Example-2: Task- Load the hexadecimal data F2H in the register B.
Mnemonic- MVI B, F2H
Opcode- MVI
Operand- B, F2H
Hex Code- 06
F2
Binary code- 0000 0110
1111 0010 

Note – This type of instructions need two bytes to store the binary codes. The mnemonic is always followed by 8-bit (byte) data. 

3. Three-byte instructions – 
Three-byte instruction is the type of instruction in which the first 8 bits indicates the opcode and the next two bytes specify the 16-bit address. The low-order address is represented in second byte and the high-order address is represented in the third byte.

  • Example-1: Task- Load contents of memory 2050H in the accumulator.
Mnemonic- LDA 2050H
Opcode- LDA
Operand- 2050H
Hex Code- 3A
50
20
Binary code- 0011 1010
0101 0000
0010 0000 
  • Example-2: Task- Transfer the program sequence to the memory location 2050H.
Mnemonic- JMP 2085H
Opcode- JMP
Operand- 2085H
Hex Code- C3
85
20
Binary code- 1100 0011
1000 0101
0010 0000 

 Features associated with different word sizes:

4-bit processors: These processors were used in the earliest digital computers and calculators. They can process 4 bits of data at a time, which limits their capabilities in terms of processing speed and memory capacity.

8-bit processors: These processors were popular in the 1970s and 1980s, and are still used in some low-power applications. They can process 8 bits of data at a time, which allows for more complex operations and better memory management.

16-bit processors: These processors were introduced in the 1980s and were used in many home computers and gaming consoles. They can process 16 bits of data at a time, which allows for more powerful operations and better graphics capabilities.

32-bit processors: These processors became popular in the 1990s and are still widely used today. They can process 32 bits of data at a time, which allows for even more powerful operations and better multitasking capabilities.

64-bit processors: These processors are used in high-end computers and servers. They can process 64 bits of data at a time, which allows for even more powerful operations and better memory management.

Note – These instructions would require three memory locations to store the binary codes. The mnemonic is always followed by 16-bit (or adr).


Last Updated : 05 Apr, 2023
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