Introduction to RISC Assembly Language Programming

ISBN:0201398281
Pages:192
Date:1998-10-21
Publisher:Addison Wesley
Rating:3.5

Read Introduction to RISC Assembly Language Programming Online
1. Online Book Mirror [www.cs.tcd.ie]

    Book Description
As the best way to gain an understanding of how a computer processor works at the lower levels, assembly language programming is essential background for every computer science and electronic engineering student. It is, however, often considered an arcane and complex discipline, because many first encounter it through the daunting instructions and registers of the Intel 8086 family.Programming in a simple RISC architecture is very different due to the elegant and compact instruction set. Students of this text who have never programmed before and who study it simultaneously with a course on a higher-level language report that it is easier and more logical to program in assembly!Introduction to RISC Assembly Language Programming: is based around the MIPS RISC processor, a simple, clean RISC processor whose architecture and assembly language is easy to learn and understand speeds up the learning process by enabling the reader to start writing simple assembly language programs early, while assuming no prior knowledge of computer programming links with an automatic program testing system, allowing a lecturer to set programming questions and mark the assignments automatically, or a reader to test a MIPS assembly language program against numerous test inputs uses the SPIM simulator, a freely available virtual machine that allows users to write and simulate running MIPS R2000/R3000 assembly language programs on PC, Macintosh or UNIX platforms. with excellent source-level debugging tools contains a large number of example programs and programming questions is supported by related software freely available via the Web http://www.compapp.dcu.ie/~jwaldron/p>
Reviews From AMAZON.COM
Great for learning MIPS Assembly Language
Great to learn about assembly language programming in general and MIPS computer RISC architecture in particular. Very readable with many good, understandable examples and good reference tables for the beginning assembly language programmer.I recommend althought the book seems somewhat over priced for its size and content.
Overly terse and oblique coverage of difficult concepts
This book is designed to be an introductory primer into Assembly language programing, in particular, on the MIPS processor. Assembly language programming is a subject that can a bit difficult for a reader to wrap his/her head around, even if programming in a higher level language is in his/her background. Not surprisingly, a good book on this subject takes its time to go over the subject in detail, and explain exactly what is happening. By contrast, this book seems to take an overly brusque approach to the whole subject, and the reader is often left guessing about the precise meaning of individual commands. Typos are not uncommon throughout the book, and the organization is not useful. The information, such as it is, appears to be correct for the most part (typos excluded) which keeps this from being a 1 star rating. But when a reader is new to the subject, and still confident that they could write a better book...well, it's a very bad sign.I would suggest looking at "See MIPS Run", by Dominic Sweetman...I've not read it myself, but there are good reviews on Amazon, and I've heard good things about it from others, as well.