Wachemo University

Institute of Technology
Department of Computer Science
Course Title: Microprocessor & Assembly Language Programming

Chapter Two
BASIC ARCHITECTURE OF THE 8088 AND
8086 MICROPROCESSORS
By: Tseganesh M.(MSc.)
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Outline
2.1. Internal architecture of the 8086/8088 microprocessors
2.2. Memory address space and data organization
2.3. Data types
Registers in 8086/8088 microprocessors
2.4. Segment registers and memory segmentation
2.5. Pointer and index register
2.6. Status and flag register
2.7. The Stack
 Overview
• Objective of the chapter to:
• Understand the internal architecture of the 8086/8088 microprocessors.
• Explore memory organization, data types, registers, flags, and the stack.

• As we discuss in previous chapter.

 A Microprocessor: is a programmable electronics chip that has computing and decision
making capabilities similar to CPU of a computer.
 Any microprocessor-based systems having limited number of resources are called
microcomputers.
 Nowadays, microprocessor can be seen in almost all types of electronics devices
like mobile phones, printers, washing machines etc.
 Microprocessors are also used in advanced applications like radars, satellites and
flights.
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 Overview cont’d…
What is the similarity between Microprocessor and Registers?
 Microprocessor
 A microprocessor is a multipurpose, clock-driven digital integrated circuit that contains
registers, an ALU, and control unit.
 It accepts binary data as input, processes it, and provides binary results as output.
 Microprocessors are the most common type of computer processor and are designed to be
reliable by combining all the components of a CPU into a single circuit.
 Registers
 Registers are a type of computer memory/storage space found inside a microprocessor and
used to transfer data to the CPU for processing.
 They are used to store and manipulate data, such as instructions, storage addresses, bit
sequences, or individual characters.
 Registers is a part of the microprocessor and used for arithmetic operations, bitwise
operations, and other operations.
 The size of a register can be 8, 16, 32, or 64 bits.
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 Accessing registers is much faster than accessing RAM 4
 Overview cont’d…
What is the difference between 8086 Microprocessor and 8086 Registers?
 8086 microprocessor
 The 8086 microprocessor is a 16-bit register-based processor.
 A 16-bit microprocessor that can process 16-bit data at a time.
 The 8086 has a 20-bit external address bus that provides a 1 MiB physical address space.
 8086 registers
 The 8086 registers are a set of 16-bit registers that are part of the microprocessor.
 The 8086 microprocessor has 14 16-bit registers that are accessible to the programmer.
 Eight of these registers are general-purpose registers that can be used for data
manipulation, arithmetic, and logic operations.
 Each general purpose register is divided into two 8-bit subparts, one high and one low.

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 Overview cont’d…
 Before, we proceed to the detail discussion on 8086/8088 microprocessors, let’s understand
the following common terms
 Bit: is a single binary digit.
 Word: refers to the basic data or bit size that can be processed by the ALU of the processor.
 For instance; in a 16-bit processor, a 16-bit binary number is called a word.
 Bus: is a group of wires/lines that carry similar information.
 System Bus: is a group of wires/lines used for communication b/n the microprocessor & peripherals.
 Memory Word: is a number of bits that can be stored in a register or memory element.
 Address Bus: It carries the address, used to identify a memory location or an I/O port.
 For e.g., an 8bit address bus has eight lines and thus it can address 𝟐𝟖 = 256 different locations.
 The locations in hexadecimal format can be written as 00H – FFH.
 Data Bus: is used to transfer data b/n memory and processor or b/n I/O device and processor.
 For example, a 16-bit processor will have 16-bit data bus.
 Control Bus: carry control signals, used for selection of memory or I/O device from the given
address, direction of data transfer and synchronization of data transfer in case of slow devices. 6
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 2.1. Internal architecture of the 8086/8088 microprocessors
 Overview of the 8086/8088 microprocessors:
 Key Features:
 The 8086/8088 are 16-bit microprocessors, supports segmented memory architecture.
 Executes complex instructions using its instruction set (CISC).
 Commonly used in early personal computers (e.g., IBM PCs).
 Key Components: 8086/8088 microprocessors have the same registers, ALU, and instruction set,
 ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit): Performs arithmetic and logic operations.
 Registers: Stores temporary data and instructions.
 Instruction set: Pre-fetches instructions for faster execution.
 Key Registers:
 General-purpose registers (AX, BX, CX, DX).
 Segment registers (CS, DS, ES, SS).
 Instruction Pointer (IP). WCU-CS Compiled by TM. 7
 2.1. Internal architecture of the 8086/8088 microprocessors
 Major Components of Internal architecture includes:
 Bus Interface Unit (BIU) & Execution Unit (EU):
i. Bus Interface Unit (BIU):
 Handles communication with memory and I/O devices via the System Bus.
 Performs instruction fetching (memory read or I/O read), address calculation,
and data transfer between memory and I/O devices.
 BIU mainly contains the 4 Segment registers, the Instruction Pointer, a pre-fetch
queue, and an Address Generation Circuit.
ii. Execution Unit (EU):
 Decodes & Executes instructions, and performs arithmetic/ logic operations.
 Contains Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU), registers, and control logic (Instruction Decoder)
 Performing by Fetching instructions from the Queue in BIU, decodes, and executes AL
operations using the ALU. 8
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 Internal architecture of the 8086/8088 cont’d…
Execution Unit (EU):
 Then, Sends control signals for internal
data transfer operations within Control Unit
 Sends request signals to the BIU to access
the external module.
 It operates with respect to T-states (clock
cycles) and not machine cycles.

 Difference between 8086 and 8088:

 Intel 8086 (introduced in 1978): 16-bit processor and has a 16-bit data bus with a 20-bit
address bus, while.
 Intel 8088: has 8-bit external data bus, compatible with simpler hardware. 9
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2.2. Memory address space and data organization
 Memory Addressing/Address space:
 The 8086/8088 can address up to 1 MB of memory (20-bit address bus).
 Memory is divided into 16 segments, each 64 KB.
 Data Organization:
 In 8086/8088 data organized as bytes (8 bits) or words (16 bits).
 Addresses are byte-addressable, meaning each memory location holds 1 byte.
 E.g.; A word (16 bits) stored at address 1000H is will occupy across two
consecutive memory locations:
 1000H (low byte) and
 1001H (high byte).

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2.3. Data Types
 Supported Data Types:
 Unsigned integers (8-bit, 16-bit).
 Byte (8 bits): Smallest addressable unit.
 Word (16 bits): Two consecutive bytes.
 Signed integers (two's complement).
 Doubleword (32 bits): Four consecutive bytes.
 BCD (Binary Coded Decimal) numbers.
 ASCII characters.
 Example:
 Data A5H is a byte.
 Byte: 8-bit data (e.g., 10101010 in binary).
 Word: 16-bit data (e.g., 0010101010101010 in binary). 11
Registers and Memory Segmentation in 8086/8088 microprocessors
 The 8086 microprocessor is one of the family of 8086, 80286, 80386, 80486,
Pentium, PentiumI, II, III …. also referred to as the X86 family.
 The 8086/8088 microprocessors have several types(approximately 14-registers)
each of 16-bit registers, including:
 General purpose registers: These include AX, BX, CX, DX, SP, BP, SI, and DI.
 Segment registers: These are 16 bits wide and include CS, DS, ES, and SS.
 Pointers and index registers: These registers are used for pointers and
indexing.
 Flag or status register: This register contains flags.
 Initially, we will use four of the general purpose registers: AX, BX, CX, DX
 These four 16-bit registers can also be treated as eight 8-bit registers: AH, AL, BH,
BL, CH, CL, DH, DL 12
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 2.4. Segment Registers and Memory Segmentation
 Purpose of Segment Registers
 Segment registers in the 8086/8088 microprocessors are used to divide the memory into
manageable segments
 It provide a way to address a larger memory space efficiently within the limitations of a
16-bit processor.
 Each segment register holds the starting address of a specific segment in memory.
 Key Functions of Segment Registers:
a. Memory Segmentation:
 Segment registers allow the 8086/8088 to access a 1 MB memory space by combining a
segment address (stored in a segment register) with a 16-bit offset address.
a. Efficient Memory Access:
 Segmentation enables the processor to access data and instructions without having to
manage the full 20-bit memory address directly.
1.Organized Memory Usage: WCU-CS Compiled by TM. 13
 Segment Registers and Memory Segmentation cont’d…
c. Organized Memory Usage:
 Different segments separate instructions, data, and the stack, ensuring clear
organization and improved performance.
d. Flexibility:
 Allows dynamic memory allocation, where segments can be relocated without
affecting the rest of the program.

 Types of Segment Registers:

 Code Segment (CS): Stores the address of executable instructions, All programs are
stored in the CS and accessed via the IP.
 Data Segment (DS): Stores data used in programs.
 Stack Segment (SS): Stores stack-related data.
 Extra Segment (ES): Used for additional data storage.
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 Segment Registers and Memory Segmentation cont’d…
 Memory Segmentation:
 In order to increase execution speed and fetching speed, 8086 segments/divides memory
into segments, thus improve organization and efficiency.
 This approach makes addressing simpler and more efficient for programmers and the
processor.
 Logical address = Segment Address
 Address = (Segment × 16) + Offset.
 E.g.: If CS = 2000H and IP = 0050H,
 Then effective physical address is calculated as:
 Address=(CS×16)+IP
=(2000𝐻×10𝐻)+0050𝐻
=20050𝐻.
 Exercise: Calculate the physical address for the logical address=3000H and IP= 0100H.
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2.5. Pointer and Index Registers
 Pointer Registers:
 Instruction Pointer (IP): Points to the next instruction in the code segment.
 Stack Pointer (SP): Points to the top of the stack in the stack segment.
 Base Pointer (BP): Used for accessing parameters in the stack.
 Index Registers:
 Source Index (SI) and Destination Index (DI): Used for string operations and
memory indexing.
 Example:
 MOV AX, [SI]: Moves data from the address pointed by SI to AX.

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 2.6. Status and Flag Register
 Purpose: Indicates the status of the processor and results of operations.
 Flags:
 Status Flags:
 Zero Flag (ZF): Set if the result of an operation is zero.
 Sign Flag (SF): Indicates the sign of the result (1 for negative, 0 for positive).
 Carry Flag (CF): Indicates if there is a carry/borrow in arithmetic operations.
 Overflow Flag (OF): Indicates arithmetic overflow.
 Parity Flag (PF): Indicates even/odd parity of the result.
 Control Flags:
 Interrupt Flag (IF): Enables or disables interrupts.
 Direction Flag (DF): Determines the direction of string operations.
 Example: After an addition operation, CF is set if the result exceeds 16 bits. 17
 2.7. The Stack
Definition:
 A stack is a region of memory used for temporary storage of data, especially during
function calls and interrupts.
 Stack Operations:
 PUSH: Adds data to the top of the stack.
 POP: Removes data from the top of the stack.
 E.g.:
 PUSH AX: Saves the value of AX on the stack.
 POP BX: Retrieves the top value from the stack into BX.
 Stack Pointer (SP): Points to the current top of the stack in the stack segment (SS).

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 Summary
 The 8086/8088 microprocessors have a segmented memory model with specialized registers
for efficient data handling.
 Flags and the stack enable advanced functionality like conditional execution and nested calls.

Sub-topic Example
Internal Architecture BIU fetches instruction, EU executes it.
Memory Address Space Effective address = Segment × 16 + Offset.
Data Types BCD: 25 (decimal) = 00100101 (binary).
Segment Registers CS = 1000H, Offset = 0002H, → Address = 10002H.
Pointer & Index Registers SI points to array base, DI points to destination.
Flags ZF = 1 if result is zero
Stack PUSH AX, value of AX stored on the stack.

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 Next class
Chapter 03: ADDRESSING MODES
3.1. Data-Addressing Modes
3.2. Program Memory-Addressing Modes
3.3. Stack Memory-Addressing Modes

Outline Chapter 04: INSTRUCTIONS

4.1. Data Movement Instructions
4.2. Arithmetic and Logic instructions
 ANY
QUESTION ?

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