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6: Machine Code

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    Computers cannot directly read assembly code; assembly code must first be converted into a format of 32 bits containing 0’s and 1’s, called machine code, that is directly usable by the CPU. This machine code is then put on a 32-bit bus where the 0’s values in the machine code are set to ground, and the 1’s are set to a positive voltage. These wires are then decoded into segments of data that are used by the CPU to actually run the instruction. In the first section of this chapter, an explanation is provided for how the 32-bit instruction used later in the CPU circuit is decoded. The subsequent section gives the format of the specific instructions with an example of usage for each instruction type. Finally, the last section explains how to decode an instruction in machine code to the corresponding assembly instruction.

    This page titled 6: Machine Code is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Charles W. Kann III via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.

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