Instructor: Engr. Alain Allitz A.

Jimenea
 Microcomputer Programming
Machine Language
Assembly Language
High Level Language
Instruction for controlling
microprocessor operation
February 12, 2018
Addressing Modes
CoE 421: Microprocessor System
• programming languages specially developed so that you could
pass your data and instructions to the computer to do specific
job
• There are two major types of programming languages, Low
Level Languages and High Level Languages
• Low Level languages are further divided in to Machine
language and Assembly language
• High Level Languages are, for scientific application FORTRAN
and C languages are used. On the other hand COBOL is used
for business applications.
1. Machine Language
• Machine Language is the only language that is directly
understood by the computer. It does not needs any translator
program
• Machine language is a collection of binary digits or bits that the
computer reads and interprets.
• The only advantage is that program of machine language run
very fast
2. Assembly Language
• Assembly languages have the same structure and set of
commands as machine languages, but they enable a
programmer to use names instead of numbers.
• It uses mnemonic codes (short forms) for instructions and allows
the programmer to introduce names for blocks of memory that
hold data.
• Assembly language is designed to be easily translated into
machine language. Like machine language, assembly language
requires detailed knowledge of a particular internal computer
architecture
Having an understanding of assembly language makes one aware
of −
• How programs interface with OS, processor, and BIOS;
• How data is represented in memory and other external devices;
• How the processor accesses and executes instruction;
• How instructions access and process data;
• How a program accesses external devices.
Other advantages of using assembly language are −
• It requires less memory and execution time;
• It allows hardware-specific complex jobs in an easier way;
• It is suitable for time-critical jobs;
• It is most suitable for writing interrupt service routines and other memory
resident programs.
• Microsoft Assembler (MASM)
• The Microsoft Macro Assembler (MASM) is an x86 assembler that uses the
Intel syntax for MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows. Beginning with MASM
8.0 there are two versions of the assembler - one for 16-bit and 32-bit
assembly sources, and another (ML64) for 64-bit sources only.
• MASM is maintained by Microsoft, but since version 6.12 has not been
sold as a separate product, it is instead supplied with various Microsoft
SDKs and C compilers. Recent versions of MASM are included with
Microsoft Visual Studio.
• Borland Turbo Assembler (TASM)
• Turbo Assembler (TASM) is a computer assembler (software for program
development) developed by Borland which runs on and produces code for
16- or 32-bit x86 MS-DOS or Microsoft Windows.
• It can be used with Borland's high-level language compilers, such as Turbo
Pascal, Turbo Basic, Turbo C and Turbo C++.
• The Turbo Assembler package is bundled with the Turbo Linker, and is
interoperable with the Turbo Debugger. TASM can assemble Microsoft
Macro Assembler (MASM) source using its MASM mode and has an ideal
mode with a few enhancements. Object-Oriented programming has been
supported since version 3.0.
• The high-level languages are much closer to human language.
• A programming language such as C, FORTRAN or Pascal that
enables to write programs which is understandable to
programmer (Human) and can perform any sort of task, such
languages are considered high-level because they are closer to
human languages.
• High level language must use interpreter, compiler or translator
to convert human understandable program to computer
readable code (machine code).
• a hardware description language (HDL) is a specialized
computer language used to describe the structure and behavior
of electronic circuits, and most commonly, digital logic circuits.
• A hardware description language enables a precise, formal
description of an electronic circuit that allows for the automated
analysis and simulation of an electronic circuit. It also allows for
the synthesis of a HDL description into a netlist (a specification
of physical electronic components and how they are connected
together), which can then be placed and routed to produce the
set of masks used to create an integrated circuit.