General Purpose Registers
The general purpose registers are present in execution unit of 8086 microprocessor. These are versatile registers that can be used for various tasks, such as storing numbers for calculations or holding memory addresses for data access. Each register serves a specific purpose, aiding the microprocessor in different types of tasks.
A general purpose register contains eight registers namely, AH,AL,BH,BL,CH,CL,DH,DL in which each register carries 8-bit data. It is used for temporary storage. When there is requirement to store data is which greater than 8-bit then these registers are used in pairs as AX,BX,CX,DX thus it effectively double their storage capacity. These register pairs can hold a maximum of 16-bit data.
General Purpose Registers
The functions of each general purpose registers are stated below:
- Accumulator Register(AX):When ALU performs arithmetic and logical operations then accumulator register stores the operands of such operations.
- Base Register(BX): The base register is used to hold the base address of memory location for reading and writing data into the memory.
- Counter Register(CX): The counter register is used to hold 8-bit data during the rotate and shift instructions. It is also used to store loop counter during loop instructions.
- Data Register(DX): During the multiplication and division operations, if the result is of 32-bits, then 16 bits from MSB is stored in DX register and bits from LSB is stored in AX register. This register is also used to hold the address and instruction for I/O
Types of Registers in 8086 Microprocessor
A microprocessor is a register-based clock-driven digital device that is used for data processing. It is a multipurpose device that is capable of producing outputs when provided binary data as input. In computers, the microprocessor is like the brain, handling tasks and calculations. Inside the microprocessor are tiny storage units called registers.
An 8086 microprocessor is 40 pin microprocessor, which was designed by INTEL in 1976. It is a 16-bit microprocessor that has 20 address lines and provides storage up to 1MB. It provides two modes of operation:
- Minimum Mode, suitable for systems having multiple processors
- Maximum Mode, suitable for systems having single processors.
Table of Content
- Types of Registers in 8086 Microprocessor
- General Purpose Registers
- Segment Registers
- Special Purpose Registers
- Flag Register