Instruction set classified by Data types
Addressing
Boolean
Numbers
Characters
Address
Address
Data represents a memory address.
Addresses are unsigned.
Some systems have a smaller data path than address path.
Requires multiple reads
Other systems have a data path wider than address path.
Original IBM 360 had 32 bit registers but only a 24 bit address.
(4 Meg). Upper 4 bits of register ignored.
Boolean
Boolean
Each bit of memory unit represents a separate piece of data.
Instruction able to address individual bit for setting or testing.
Either directly or with help of a mask.
Numbers
Numbers
Integers - signed and unsigned - requires zero, carry, overflow.
Floating point
Some cpus do not support fp numbers at hardware level.
Binary coded decimal - represents 0-9
Easy for non-programmers to read data dumps.
More complex (slower) execution by cpu.
Characters
Characters
ASCII - seven bit values English characters
a-z,A-Z, 0- 9, punctuation.
various tab and positioning for display and printing.
8th bit used for parity or alternative character set (graphics).
EBCDIC (extended binary coded decimal )
8 bit character set.
IBM's character set
Uni-code
16 bit character set
Standardized multi-language character set