ADDRESSING MODES AND

MEMORY ORGANIZATION
Addressing Modes
• The term addressing modes refers to the way in which the operand of an instruction is specified. The
addressing mode specifies a rule for interpreting or modifying the address field of the instruction before
the operand is actually executed.
• Addressing modes for 8086 instructions are divided into two categories:
• Addressing modes for data
• Addressing modes for branch
• The 8086 memory addressing modes provide flexible access to memory, allowing you to easily access
variables, arrays, records, pointers, and other complex data types.
• The key to good assembly language programming is the proper use of memory addressing modes.
• An assembly language program instruction consists of two parts : Opcode and Operand
IMPORTANT TERMS
• Starting address of memory segment.
• Effective address or Offset: An offset is determined by adding any combination of three address
elements: displacement, base and index.
• Displacement: It is an 8 bit or 16 bit immediate value given in the instruction.
• Base: Contents of base register, BX or BP.
• Index: Content of index register SI or DI.
According to different ways of specifying an operand by 8086 microprocessor, different addressing modes
are used by 8086.
• The different ways of specifying the location of an operand in an instruction are called as addressing
modes.

1. Implied / Implicit Addressing Mode

2. Stack addressing mode
3. Immediate Addressing Mode
4. Direct Addressing Mode
5. Indirect Addressing Mode
6. Register Direct Addressing Mode
7. Register Indirect Addressing Mode
8. Relative Addressing Mode
9. Indexed Addressing Mode
10. Base Register Addressing Mode
11. Auto-Increment Addressing Mode
12. Auto-Decrement Addressing Mode
Implied Addressing Mode –
• In this addressing mode, the definition of the instruction itself specify the operands implicitly.
• It is also called as implicit addressing mode.
• Examples-
• The instruction “Complement Accumulator” is an implied mode instruction (CMA).
• In a stack organized computer, Zero Address Instructions are implied mode instructions. (since operands
are always implied to be present on the top of the stack)

Stack Addressing Mode –

• In this addressing mode, the operand is contained at the top of the stack.
• Example - ADD
• This instruction simply pops out two symbols contained at the top of the stack. The addition of those
two operands is performed. The result so obtained after addition is pushed again at the top of the stack.
Immediate Addressing Mode-
• In this addressing mode, the operand is specified in the instruction explicitly.
• Instead of address field, an operand field is present that contains the operand.
• Examples - ADD
10 will increment the value stored in the accumulator by 10.
MOV R #20 initializes register R to a constant value 20.

Direct Addressing Mode-

• In this addressing mode, the address field of the instruction contains the effective address of the operand.
Only one reference to memory is required to fetch the operand.
• It is also called as absolute addressing mode.

Example - ADD X will increment the value

stored in the accumulator by the value
stored at memory location X. AC ← AC +
[X]
Indirect Addressing Mode-
• In this addressing mode, the address field of the instruction specifies the address of memory location
that contains the effective address of the operand.
• Two references to memory are required to fetch the operand.

Example - ADD X will increment

the value stored in the accumulator
by the value stored at memory
location specified by X.

AC ← AC + [[X]]
Register Direct Addressing Mode –
• In this addressing mode, the operand is contained in a register set.
• The address field of the instruction refers to a CPU register that contains the operand.
• No reference to memory is required to fetch the operand.

Example - ADD R will increment the

value stored in the accumulator by the
content of register R.
AC ← AC + [R]

• This addressing mode is similar to

direct addressing mode.
• The only difference is address field of
the instruction refers to a CPU register
instead of main memory
Register Indirect Addressing Mode –
• In this addressing mode, the address field of the instruction refers to a CPU register that contains the
effective address of the operand.
• Only one reference to memory is required to fetch the operand.

Example - ADD R will increment the

value stored in the accumulator by the
content of memory location specified in
register R.

AC ← AC + [[R]]

• This addressing mode is similar to

indirect addressing mode.
• The only difference is address field of
the instruction refers to a CPU register.
Memory Organization
A memory unit is the collection of storage units or devices together. The memory unit stores the binary
information in the form of bits. Generally, memory/storage is classified into 2 categories:

• Volatile Memory: This loses its data, when power is switched off.
• Non-Volatile Memory: This is a permanent storage and does not lose any data when power is
switched off.

Memory Hierarchy
• The total memory capacity of a computer can be visualized by hierarchy of components. The memory
hierarchy system consists of all storage devices contained in a computer system from the slow
Auxiliary Memory to fast Main Memory and to smaller Cache memory.
• Auxiliary memory access time is generally 1000 times that of the main memory, hence it is at the
bottom of the hierarchy.
• The main memory occupies the central position because it is equipped to communicate directly with
the CPU and with auxiliary memory devices through Input/output processor (I/O).
• When the program not residing in main memory is needed by the CPU, they are brought in from
auxiliary memory. Programs not currently needed in main memory are transferred into auxiliary
memory to provide space in main memory for other programs that are currently in use.
• The cache memory is used to store program data which is currently being executed in the CPU.
Approximate access time ratio between cache memory and main memory is about 1 to 7~10
Memory Access Methods
Each memory type, is a collection of numerous memory locations. To access data from any memory, first
it must be located and then the data is read from the memory location. Following are the methods to
access information from memory locations:
• Random Access: Main memories are random access memories, in which each memory location has a
unique address. Using this unique address any memory location can be reached in the same amount of
time in any order.
• Sequential Access: This methods allows memory access in a sequence or in order.
• Direct Access: In this mode, information is stored in tracks, with each track having a separate
read/write head.
Main Memory
• The memory unit that communicates directly within the CPU, Auxillary memory and Cache memory, is called
main memory.
• It is the central storage unit of the computer system.
• It is a large and fast memory used to store data during computer operations.
• Main memory is made up of RAM and ROM, with RAM integrated circuit chips holing the major share.

RAM: Random Access Memory

• DRAM: Dynamic RAM, is made of capacitors and transistors, and must be refreshed every 10~100 ms. It is
slower and cheaper than SRAM.
• SRAM: Static RAM, has a six transistor circuit in each cell and retains data, until powered off.
• NVRAM: Non-Volatile RAM, retains its data, even when turned off. Example: Flash memory.

ROM: Read Only Memory

• It is non-volatile and is more like a permanent storage for information.
• It also stores the bootstrap loader program, to load and start the operating system when computer is turned on.
• PROM(Programmable ROM), EPROM(Erasable PROM) and EEPROM(Electrically Erasable PROM) are some
commonly used ROMs.
Auxiliary Memory –
• Devices that provide backup storage are called auxiliary memory.
• For example: Magnetic disks and tapes are commonly used auxiliary devices. Other devices used as auxiliary
memory are magnetic drums, magnetic bubble memory and optical disks.
• It is not directly accessible to the CPU and is accessed using the Input/Output channels.

Cache Memory –
• The data or contents of the main memory that are used again and again by CPU, are stored in the cache memory so
that we can easily access that data in shorter time.
• Whenever the CPU needs to access memory, it first checks the cache memory. If the data is not found in cache
memory, then the CPU moves onto the main memory. It also transfers block of recent data into the cache and keeps
on deleting the old data in cache to accommodate the new one.

Hit Ratio -
• The performance of cache memory is measured in terms of a quantity called hit ratio. When the CPU refers to
memory and finds the word in cache it is said to produce a hit. If the word is not found in cache, it is in main
memory then it counts as a miss.
• The ratio of the number of hits to the total CPU references to memory is called hit ratio.
• Hit Ratio = Hit/(Hit + Miss)
Associative Memory –
• It is also known as content addressable memory (CAM).
• It is a memory chip in which each bit position can be compared.
• In this the content is compared in each bit cell which allows very fast table lookup. Since the entire chip can be
compared, contents are randomly stored without considering addressing scheme.
• These chips have less storage capacity than regular memory chips.

Virtual Memory
• Virtual memory is the separation of logical memory from physical memory. This separation provides large virtual
memory for programmers when only small physical memory is available.
• Virtual memory is used to give programmers the illusion that they have a very large memory even though the
computer has a small main memory.
• It makes the task of programming easier because the programmer no longer needs to worry about the amount of
physical memory available.
QUIZ

Which of the following is the fastest means of

memory access for CPU?
a) Registers
b) Cache
c) Main memory
d) Virtual Memory
QUIZ

Answer: A
QUIZ

The memory implemented using the semiconductor chips is _________

a) Cache
b) Main
c) Secondary
d) Registers
QUIZ

Answer: b
QUIZ

The addressing mode which makes use of in-direction pointers is ______

a) Indirect addressing mode
b) Index addressing mode
c) Relative addressing mode
d) Offset addressing mode
QUIZ

Answer: A
QUIZ

The addressing mode/s, which uses the PC instead of a

general purpose register is ______
a) Indexed with offset
b) Relative
c) Direct
d) Both Indexed with offset and direct
QUIZ

Answer: B
THANK YOU!