8

The table below gives a subset of the assembly language instructions for a computer with a single
general-purpose register, the Accumulator (ACC), and an index register (IX).
Instruction
Explanation

Opcode
(mnemonic)

Operand

LDD

<address>

0000 0100

Direct addressing. Load the contents of the given

address to ACC

LDV

<number>

0000 0101

Load the given number to ACC

STO

<address>

0001 0000

Store the contents of ACC at the given address

LDI

<address>

0000 0110

Indirect addressing. At the given address is the

address to be used. Load the contents of this second
address to ACC

LDX

<address>

0000 0111

Indexed addressing. Form the address as <address>

+ the contents of IX. Copy the contents of this address
to ACC

INC

<register>

0000 0011

Add 1 to the contents of the register (ACC or IX)

OUTCH

1000 0001

Output to the monitor the character corresponding to

the ASCII character code in ACC

IN

1001 0000

Input a denary number from the keyboard and store in

ACC

1100 1000

Unconditional jump to the given address

1111 1111

End the program and return to the operating system

JMP
END

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<address>

Opcode
(binary)

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9
The diagram shows a program loaded in main memory starting at location 100.
Locations 200 onwards contain data which are used by the program.
(a) (i)

The instruction at address 102 is fetched.

100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107

ACC

IX

Show the contents of the registers after execution.

Write on the diagram to explain.

[2]

LDI
OUTCH
LDD
INC
STO
JP
END

150
203
ACC
150
100

150

200

200
201
202
203
204
205

65
76
65
77
32
32

(ii) The instruction at address 100 is fetched.

ACC

IX

Show the contents of the registers after execution.

Write on the diagram to explain.

[3]

(b) The given table of instructions shows the binary number used for each instructions opcode.
All instructions in machine code are stored as a 16-bit pattern, with the opcode as the first 8
bits and the operand as the second 8 bits.
(i)

What is the maximum number of different instructions this processor could have?
.......................................................................................................................................[1]

(ii)

Consider the instruction:

0

Describe what this instruction does.

...........................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................[2]

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10
(iii)

Programmers prefer to write machine code instructions in hexadecimal.

Explain why.
...........................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................[1]

(iv)

What is the hexadecimal number for the instruction shown in part (b)(ii)?
...................................................

[1]

Show the machine code for the following instructions:

(v)

LDI 150

[2]
(vi)

LDV 15

[2]
(vii)

A programmer makes the statement:

For this instruction set, some of the instructions do not require an operand
Circle if this statement is true or false and explain with reference to the instructions given.
True / False
...........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................[2]

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(c) Use the ASCII code table to trace the first four iterations of the given program.
ASCII code table (part)
Character

Decimal

Character

Decimal

Character

Decimal

<Space>

32

73

82

65

74

83

66

75

84

67

76

85

68

77

86

69

78

87

70

79

88

71

80

89

72

81

90

ACC

Location
150

OUTPUT

100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107

LDI
OUTCH
LDD
INC
STO
JP
END

150
150
ACC
150
100

150

200

200
201
202
203
204
205

65
76
65
77
32
32
[5]

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12
5

Most modern computers are designed using Von Neumann architecture.

(a) Describe what is meant by Von Neumann architecture.
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................................[2]
(b) The sequence of operations below shows the fetch stage of the fetch-execute cycle in register
transfer notation.
1.
2.
3.
4.

MAR [PC]
PC [PC] + 1
MDR [[MAR]]
CIR [MDR]

Note: [register] denotes the contents of the specified register.

Explain what is happening at the fetch stage.
1 ................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
2 ................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
3 ................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
4 ................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................................[4]

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(c) The address bus and data bus are used during the fetch-execute cycle.
(i)

Name another bus used in a typical microprocessor.

............................................................

(ii)

[1]

Name one signal carried by this bus.

...........................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................[1]

(d) Consider two assembly language instructions which were given in Question 4.
Instruction
Opcode
(mnemonic)

Explanation
Operand

LDV

<number>

Load the given number to ACC

LDD

<address>

Direct addressing. Load the contents of the given address to ACC

Consider the following two cases.

Case 1:
Following step 4 of the fetch stage, the instruction is decoded. The instruction is then executed
without further use of the address bus.
Case 2:
Following step 4 of the fetch stage, the instruction is decoded. Once decoded, the address
bus must be used again before the execution of the instruction can be completed.
For each instruction below, circle either Case 1 or Case 2 and explain your choice.
(i)

LDV 35
Case 1 / Case 2
Explanation .......................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................[2]

(ii)

LDD 35
Case 1 / Case 2
Explanation .......................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................[2]

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(a) (i) ACC = 77

Show contents of 203 copied to ACC
(ii) ACC = 65
Show 150 used as a forwarding address
Contents of 200 copied to ACC

1
1

[2]

1
1
1

[3]

(b) (i) 256 different instructions

[1]

(ii) Store the ACC contents

at address 65 // 01000001

1
1

[2]

(iii) Fewer digits to write // less chance of an error in writing the code // easy conversion
to/from binary code

[1]

(iv) 1041 hex

[1]

(v) LDI 150

0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0
Opcode
Operand

1
1

[2]

1
1

[2]

(vi) LDV 15
0

Opcode
Operand
(vii) True
OUTCH / IN // END or using a good explanation (only) of either

Cambridge International Examinations 2014

[2]

(c)

ACC

Location 150

65

OUTPUT
A

200
201

201

76

201
202

202

65

202
203

203

77

203
204

204

Mark as shown
5

(a) a single processor

program consists of a sequence of stored instructions
instructions + data make up a program
are stored in a continuous block of main memory
instructions are executed in sequence
(b) 1.
2.
3.
4.

[5]

1
1
1
1

[max 2]

The (contents of) the program counter/PC are copied to the Memory Address Register
The contents of the Program Counter are incremented
Identify the address in the Memory Address Register. Go to this address and copy its
contents to the Memory Data Register
The (contents of) the Memory Data Register are copied to the Current Instruction
Register
[4]

(c) (i) Control bus

[1]

(ii) read/write
interrupt
reset
clock signal
bus request/bus grant

[max 1]

(d) (i) Case 1

The operand number is already held in the CIR

1
1

(ii) Case 2
The instruction is for directed addressing
The address bus is loaded with address 35

1
1

[2]

[2]

10
4

The table below gives a subset of the assembly language instructions for a computer with a single
general purpose register, the Accumulator (ACC), and an index register (IX).
Instruction
Opcode
(mnemonic)

Operand

LDD

<address>

LDV
STO

Explanation

Opcode
(binary)
0000 0100

Direct addressing. Load the contents of the given

address to ACC

<number>

0000 0101

Load the given number to ACC

<address>

0001 0000

Store the contents of ACC at the given address

0000 0110

Indirect addressing. At the given address is the

address to be used. Load the contents of this
second address to ACC

0000 0111

Indexed addressing. Form the address as

<address> + the contents of IX. Copy the contents
of this address to ACC

0000 0011

Add 1 to the contents of the register (ACC or IX)

1000 0001

Output the character corresponding to the ASCII

character code in ACC to the monitor

1001 0000

Input a denary number from the keyboard and store

in ACC

1100 1000

Unconditional jump to the given address

1100 1001

Compare the contents of ACC with the given

number

1110 0111

If the result of the previous compare instruction was

a match, jump to the given address

LDI

<address>

LDX

<address>

INC

<register>

OUTCH
IN
JMP

<address>

CMP

<number>

JPE

<address>

(a) The given table of instructions shows the binary number used for each instruction's opcode.
All instructions in machine code are stored as a 16-bit pattern, with the opcode as the first
8 bits and the operand as the second 8 bits.
(i)

What is the maximum number of memory locations which can be directly addressed?
.......................................................................................................................................[1]

(ii)

Consider the instruction:

0

Describe what this instruction does.

...........................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................[2]

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(iii)

Programmers prefer to write machine code instructions in hexadecimal.

Explain why.
...........................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................[1]

(iv)

What is the hexadecimal number for the machine code instruction shown in part (b)(ii)?
............................................................

(v)

[1]

Show the 16-bit machine code for the following instruction:

JPE 204

[2]
(vi)

A programmer makes the statement:

For this instruction set, some of the instructions do not require an operand
Circle if this statement is true or false. Explain your choice with reference to the table of
instructions given.
True / False
...........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................[2]

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12
(b) Use the ASCII code table to trace execution of the given program.
ASCII code table (part)
Character

Decimal

Character

Decimal

Character

Decimal

<Space>

32

73

82

65

74

83

66

75

84

67

76

85

68

77

86

69

78

87

70

79

88

71

80

89

72

81

90

ACC

Location
450

OUTPUT
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308

LDI
CMP
JPE
OUTCH
LDD
INC
STO
JMP
END

450
32
308
450
ACC
450
300

450

500

500
501
502
503
504

65
74
65
90
32
[5]

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Page 6
4

(a) (i)
(ii)

Mark Scheme
Cambridge International A Level October/November 2014

Syllabus
9691

Paper
32

256

[1]

Load into the ACC

(The number) 193 // 11000001

[2]

(iii)

Fewer digits to write // less chance of an error in writing the code //

easy conversion to/from a binary code

[1]

(iv)

05C1 hex

[1]

(v)

JPE 204
1

Op code
Operand
(vi)

1
1

[2]

True
OUTCH // IN // END // or using a good explanation (only) of either

(b)
ACC
65

Address
450

[2]

OUTPUT
A

500
501

501

74

501
502

502

65

502
503

503

90

503
504

504

32
[5]

Cambridge International Examinations 2014