If a system's instruction set consists of an 6-bit opcode, what is the maximum number of instructions the system can have? Explain why.
If a system's instruction set consists of an 6-bit opcode, what is the maximum number of instructions the system can have? Explain why.
Chapter4: Processor Technology And Architecture
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 17VE: A(n) ____________________ instruction copies data from one memory location to another.
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If a system's instruction set consists of an 6-bit opcode, what is the maximum number of instructions the system can have? Explain why.
Expert Solution
Explanation
1) An opcode (abbreviated from operation code) is the portion of a machine language instruction that specifies the operation to be performed.
2) Every processor/controller has its own set of opcodes defined in its architecture which tells the hardware what operation needs to be performed with this instruction.
3) So having 6 bits for the opcode means only that you are able to encode up to =64 different instructions which can be interpreted in a single decode cycle
4) So if a system's instruction set consists of an 6-bit opcode, 64 maximum number of instructions the system can have
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