Types of Registers in 8086 Microprocessor

Registers are storage blocks for temporary storage in microprocessors. They hold important information temporarily while the microprocessor works on it. Think of registers as tiny boxes where the microprocessor keeps things it needs to use right away.

In other words, one may also say that registers are like the memory of a computer’s brain, storing tiny bits of information that the microprocessor needs to work with quickly.

In 8086 microprocessor, the registers are categorized under following four types:

  • General Purpose Registers
  • Segment Registers
  • Special Purpose Registers
  • Flag Registers

These different types of registers of 8086 microprocessor are briefly discussed below.

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

Similar Reads

Types of Registers in 8086 Microprocessor

Registers are storage blocks for temporary storage in microprocessors. They hold important information temporarily while the microprocessor works on it. Think of registers as tiny boxes where the microprocessor keeps things it needs to use right away....

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....

Segment Registers

The Bus Interface Unit (BIU) of 8086 microprocessor. The segment registers are responsible for managing memory access. As the computer memory is segmented, the segment registers tracks the memory location of each and every segment. The segment registers contains four 16-bit registers namely, Code Segment(CS), Data Segment(DS), Stack segment(SS) and Extra Segment(ES). These registers are used to hold the 16 bits of starting address. Each segment register holds the starting address of its respective memory segment, allowing the microprocessor to quickly locate and access the data it needs during program execution....

Special Purpose Registers

The index and pointer registers are collectively called as special purpose registers. These are 16-bit registers used as memory pointers and These registers generates 20- bit physical address. There are five 16-bit special purpose registers namely, Stack Pointer(SP), Base Pointer(BP), Source Index(SI), Destination Index(DI) and Instruction Pointer(IP)....

Flag Register

The flag register is also called as status register. It is a 16-bit register which is a set of flip-flops. There are nine flags in this register....

Conclusion

In this article we have gone through the types of registers in 8086,we have gone through different types of flags and gone their working in brief. As we have already seen there are four types of registers in 8086 microprocessor named as General Purpose Registers, Segment Registers, Special Purpose Registers and Flag Register....

Types of Registers in 8086 Microprocessor – FAQs

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