2.4.6

Machine Code

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Machine Code Instructions

Machine code is a low-level language that controls the CPU.

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Machine code instructions

  • When your program is run it is converted to machine code instructions.
  • Machine code instructions will have different sized instructions based on their architecture.
    • 64-bit processors will have instructions that are 64bit in size.
  • These machine code instructions are split into sections.
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Machine code instructions cont.

  • The first section is basic machine operation. This is the instruction to perform, such as addition, represented in binary.
  • The second part is the addressing mode. The addressing mode is usually stored in two bits.
    • The addressing mode tells the processor which type of addressing to use on the operand code or opcode for short.
  • The final part of the instruction is the operand or opcode, which will be translated differently depending on the type of address mode used.

Jump to other topics

1Components of a Computer

2Software & Software Development

3Exchanging Data

4Data Types, Data Structures & Algorithms

5Legal, Moral, Cultural & Ethical Issues

6Elements of Computational Thinking

6.1Thinking Abstractly

6.2Thinking Ahead

6.3Thinking Procedurally

6.4Thinking Logically

6.5Thinking Concurrently

7Problem Solving & Programming

8Algorithms

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