1/9/2016 MIPSQuickTutorial

MIPSArchitectureandAssemblyLanguageOverview
Adaptedfrom:http://edge.mcs.dre.g.el.edu/GICL/people/sevy/architecture/MIPSRef(SPIM).html

[RegisterDescription][I/ODescription]

DataTypesandLiterals
Datatypes:

Instructionsareall32bits
byte(8bits),halfword(2bytes),word(4bytes)
acharacterrequires1byteofstorage
anintegerrequires1word(4bytes)ofstorage

Literals:

numbersenteredasis.e.g.4
charactersenclosedinsinglequotes.e.g.'b'
stringsenclosedindoublequotes.e.g."Astring"

Registers

32generalpurposeregisters
registerprecededby$inassemblylanguageinstruction
twoformatsforaddressing:
usingregisternumbere.g.$0through$31
usingequivalentnamese.g.$t1,$sp
specialregistersLoandHiusedtostoreresultofmultiplicationanddivision
notdirectlyaddressablecontentsaccessedwithspecialinstructionmfhi("movefromHi")andmflo("movefromLo")
stackgrowsfromhighmemorytolowmemory

ThisisfromFigure9.9intheGoodman&Millertext
Register Alternative
Description
Number Name
0 zero thevalue0
1 $at (assemblertemporary)reservedbytheassembler
23 $v0$v1 (values)fromexpressionevaluationandfunctionresults
(arguments)Firstfourparametersforsubroutine.
47 $a0$a3
Notpreservedacrossprocedurecalls
(temporaries)Callersavedifneeded.Subroutinescanusew/outsaving.
815 $t0$t7
Notpreservedacrossprocedurecalls
(savedvalues)Calleesaved.
1623 $s0$s7 Asubroutineusingoneofthesemustsaveoriginalandrestoreitbeforeexiting.
Preservedacrossprocedurecalls
(temporaries)Callersavedifneeded.Subroutinescanusew/outsaving.
2425 $t8$t9 Theseareinadditionto$t0$t7above.
Notpreservedacrossprocedurecalls.
2627 $k0$k1 reservedforusebytheinterrupt/traphandler
globalpointer.
28 $gp Pointstothemiddleofthe64Kblockofmemoryinthestaticdata
segment.
stackpointer
29 $sp
Pointstolastlocationonthestack.
savedvalue/framepointer
30 $s8/$fp
Preservedacrossprocedurecalls
31 $ra returnaddress

SeealsoBrittonsection1.9,Sweetmansection2.21,LarusAppendixsectionA.6

ProgramStructure
justplaintextfilewithdatadeclarations,programcode(nameoffileshouldendinsuffix.stobeusedwithSPIMsimulator)
datadeclarationsectionfollowedbyprogramcodesection

DataDeclarations

placedinsectionofprogramidentifiedwithassemblerdirective.data
declaresvariablenamesusedinprogramstorageallocatedinmainmemory(RAM)

Code
placedinsectionoftextidentifiedwithassemblerdirective.text
containsprogramcode(instructions)
startingpointforcodee.g.ecutiongivenlabelmain:
endingpointofmaincodeshoulduseexitsystemcall(seebelowunderSystemCalls)

http://logos.cs.uic.edu/366/notes/MIPS%20Quick%20Tutorial.htm 1/4
1/9/2016 MIPSQuickTutorial
Comments

anythingfollowing#onaline
#Thisstuffwouldbeconsideredacomment
TemplateforaMIPSassemblylanguageprogram:
#Commentgivingnameofprogramanddescriptionoffunction
#Template.s
#BarebonesoutlineofMIPSassemblylanguageprogram

.data#variabledeclarationsfollowthisline
#...

.text#instructionsfollowthisline

main:#indicatesstartofcode(firstinstructiontoexecute)
#...

#Endofprogram,leaveablanklineafterwardstomakeSPIMhappy

DataDeclarations
formatfordeclarations:

name: storage_type value(s)

createstorageforvariableofspecifiedtypewithgivennameandspecifiedvalue
value(s)usuallygivesinitialvalue(s)forstoragetype.space,givesnumberofspacestobeallocated

Note:labelsalwaysfollowedbycolon(:)

example

var1: .word 3 #createasingleintegervariablewithinitialvalue3
array1: .byte 'a','b'#createa2elementcharacterarraywithelementsinitialized
#toaandb
array2: .space 40 #allocate40consecutivebytes,withstorageuninitialized
#couldbeusedasa40elementcharacterarray,ora
#10elementintegerarray;acommentshouldindicatewhich!

Load/StoreInstructions

RAMaccessonlyallowedwithloadandstoreinstructions
allotherinstructionsuseregisteroperands

load:
lw register_destination,RAM_source

#copyword(4bytes)atsourceRAMlocationtodestinationregister.

lb register_destination,RAM_source

#copybyteatsourceRAMlocationtoloworderbyteofdestinationregister,
#andsigne.g.tendtohigherorderbytes

storeword:

sw register_source,RAM_destination

#storewordinsourceregisterintoRAMdestination

sb register_source,RAM_destination

#storebyte(loworder)insourceregisterintoRAMdestination

loadimmediate:

li register_destination,value

#loadimmediatevalueintodestinationregister

example:
.data
var1: .word 23 #declarestorageforvar1;initialvalueis23

.text
__start:
lw $t0,var1 #loadcontentsofRAMlocationintoregister$t0:$t0=var1
li $t1,5 #$t1=5("loadimmediate")
sw $t1,var1 #storecontentsofregister$t1intoRAM:var1=$t1
done

IndirectandBasedAddressing
Usedonlywithloadandstoreinstructions

http://logos.cs.uic.edu/366/notes/MIPS%20Quick%20Tutorial.htm 2/4
1/9/2016 MIPSQuickTutorial
loadaddress:
la $t0,var1

copyRAMaddressofvar1(presumablyalabeldefinedintheprogram)intoregister$t0

indirectaddressing:

lw $t2,($t0)

loadwordatRAMaddresscontainedin$t0into$t2

sw $t2,($t0)

storewordinregister$t2intoRAMataddresscontainedin$t0

basedorindexedaddressing:

lw $t2,4($t0)

loadwordatRAMaddress($t0+4)intoregister$t2
"4"givesoffsetfromaddressinregister$t0

sw $t2,12($t0)

storewordinregister$t2intoRAMataddress($t012)
negativeoffsetsarefine

Note:basedaddressingisespeciallyusefulfor:

arraysaccesselementsasoffsetfrombaseaddress
stackseasytoaccesselementsatoffsetfromstackpointerorframepointer

example

.data
array1: .space 12 #declare12bytesofstoragetoholdarrayof3integers
.text
__start: la $t0,array1 #loadbaseaddressofarrayintoregister$t0
li $t1,5 #$t1=5("loadimmediate")
sw$t1,($t0) #firstarrayelementsetto5;indirectaddressing
li$t1,13 #$t1=13
sw$t1,4($t0) #secondarrayelementsetto13
li$t1,7 #$t1=7
sw$t1,8($t0) #thirdarrayelementsetto7
done

ArithmeticInstructions
mostuse3operands
alloperandsareregistersnoRAMorindirectaddressing
operandsizeisword(4bytes)
add $t0,$t1,$t2 #$t0=$t1+$t2;addassigned(2'scomplement)integers
sub $t2,$t3,$t4 #$t2=$t3$t4
addi $t2,$t3,5 #$t2=$t3+5;"addimmediate"(nosubimmediate)
addu $t1,$t6,$t7 #$t1=$t6+$t7;addasunsignedintegers
subu $t1,$t6,$t7 #$t1=$t6+$t7;subtractasunsignedintegers

mult $t3,$t4 #multiply32bitquantitiesin$t3and$t4,andstore64bit

move $t2,$t3#$t2=$t3

ControlStructures

Branches

comparisonforconditionalbranchesisbuiltintoinstruction

b target #unconditionalbranchtoprogramlabeltarget
beq $t0,$t1,target #branchtotargetif$t0=$t1
blt $t0,$t1,target #branchtotargetif$t0<$t1
ble $t0,$t1,target #branchtotargetif$t0<=$t1
bgt $t0,$t1,target #branchtotargetif$t0>$t1
bge $t0,$t1,target #branchtotargetif$t0>=$t1
bne $t0,$t1,target #branchtotargetif$t0<>$t1

Jumps

j target #unconditionaljumptoprogramlabeltarget
jr $t3 #jumptoaddresscontainedin$t3("jumpregister")

SubroutineCalls

http://logos.cs.uic.edu/366/notes/MIPS%20Quick%20Tutorial.htm 3/4
1/9/2016 MIPSQuickTutorial
subroutinecall:"jumpandlink"instruction

jal sub_label #"jumpandlink"

copyprogramcounter(returnaddress)toregister$ra(returnaddressregister)
jumptoprogramstatementatsub_label

subroutinereturn:"jumpregister"instruction

jr $ra #"jumpregister"

jumptoreturnaddressin$ra(storedbyjalinstruction)

Note:returnaddressstoredinregister$raifsubroutinewillcallothersubroutines,orisrecursive,returnaddressshouldbecopiedfrom$raontostackto
preserveit,sincejalalwaysplacesreturnaddressinthisregisterandhencewilloverwritepreviousvalue

SystemCallsandI/O(SPIMSimulator)
usedtoreadorprintvaluesorstringsfrominput/outputwindow,andindicateprogramend
usesyscalloperatingsystemroutinecall
firstsupplyappropriatevaluesinregisters$v0and$a0$a1
resultvalue(ifany)returnedinregister$v0

Thefollowingtableliststhepossiblesyscallservices.

Code
Service Arguments Results
in$v0
print_int 1 $a0=integertobeprinted
print_float 2 $f12=floattobeprinted
print_double 3 $f12=doubletobeprinted
print_string 4 $a0=addressofstringinmemory
read_int 5 integerreturnedin$v0
read_float 6 floatreturnedin$v0
read_double 7 doublereturnedin$v0
$a0=memoryaddressofstringinput
read_string 8 buffer
$a1=lengthofstringbuffer(n)
sbrk 9 $a0=amount addressin$v0
exit 10

Theprint_stringserviceexpectstheaddresstostartanullterminatedcharacterstring.Thedirective.asciizcreatesanullterminatedcharacterstring.
Theread_int,read_floatandread_doubleservicesreadanentirelineofinputuptoandincludingthenewlinecharacter.
Theread_stringservicehasthesamesemanticesastheUNIXlibraryroutinefgets.
Itreadsupton1charactersintoabufferandterminatesthestringwithanullcharacter.
Iffewerthann1charactersareinthecurrentline,itreadsuptoandincludingthenewlineandterminatesthestringwithanullcharacter.
Thesbrkservicereturnstheaddresstoablockofmemorycontainingnadditionalbytes.Thiswouldbeusedfordynamicmemoryallocation.
Theexitservicestopsaprogramfromrunning.

e.g.Printoutintegervaluecontainedinregister$t2

li $v0,1 #loadappropriatesystemcallcodeintoregister$v0;
#codeforprintingintegeris1
move $a0,$t2 #moveintegertobeprintedinto$a0:$a0=$t2
syscall #calloperatingsystemtoperformoperation

e.g.Readintegervalue,storeinRAMlocationwithlabelint_value(presumablydeclaredindatasection)

li $v0,5 #loadappropriatesystemcallcodeintoregister$v0;
#codeforreadingintegeris5
syscall #calloperatingsystemtoperformoperation
sw $v0,int_value #valuereadfromkeyboardreturnedinregister$v0;
#storethisindesiredlocation

e.g.Printoutstring(usefulforprompts)

.data
string1 .asciiz"Printthis.\n" #declarationforstringvariable,
#.asciizdirectivemakesstringnullterminated

.text
main: li $v0,4 #loadappropriatesystemcallcodeintoregister$v0;
#codeforprintingstringis4
la $a0,string1 #loadaddressofstringtobeprintedinto$a0
syscall #calloperatingsystemtoperformprintoperation

e.g.Toindicateendofprogram,useexitsystemcall;thuslastlinesofprogramshouldbe:

li $v0,10 #systemcallcodeforexit=10
syscall #calloperatingsys

http://logos.cs.uic.edu/366/notes/MIPS%20Quick%20Tutorial.htm 4/4