Introduction to the MIPS Architecture
January 14–16, 2013
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Unofficial textbook
MIPS Assembly Language Programming
by Robert Britton
A beta version of this book (2003) is available free online
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Exercise 1 clarification
This is a question about converting between bases
• bit – base-2 (states: 0 and 1)
• flash cell – base-4 (states: 0–3)
• hex digit – base-16 (states: 0–9, A–F)
• Each hex digit represents 4 bits of information:
0xE ⇒ 1110
• It takes two hex digits to represent one byte:
1010 0111 ⇒ 0xA7
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Outline
Overview of the MIPS architecture
What is a computer architecture?
Fetch-decode-execute cycle
Datapath and control unit
Components of the MIPS architecture
Memory
Other components of the datapath
Control unit
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What is a computer architecture?
One view: The machine language the CPU implements
Instruction set architecture (ISA)
• Built in data types (integers, floating point numbers)
• Fixed set of instructions
• Fixed set of on-processor variables (registers)
• Interface for reading/writing memory
• Mechanisms to do input/output
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What is a computer architecture?
Another view: How the ISA is implemented
Microarchitecture
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How a computer executes a program
Fetch-decode-execute cycle (FDX)
1. fetch the next instruction from memory
2. decode the instruction
3. execute the instruction
Decode determines:
• operation to execute
• arguments to use
• where the result will be stored
Execute:
• performs the operation
• determines next instruction to fetch (by default, next one)
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Datapath and control unit
Datapath
Major hardware components of the FDX cycle
• path of instructions and data through the processor
• components connected by buses
Bus – parallel path for transmitting values
• in MIPS, usually 32 bits wide
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Datapath and control unit
Control unit
Controls the components of the datapath
• determines how data moves through the datapath
• receives condition signals from the components
• sends control signals to the components
• switches between buses with multiplexers
Multiplexer – component for choosing between buses
select
A
MUX
out
B
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Outline
Overview of the MIPS architecture
What is a computer architecture?
Fetch-decode-execute cycle
Datapath and control unit
Components of the MIPS architecture
Memory
Other components of the datapath
Control unit
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Components of the MIPS architecture
Major components of the datapath:
• program counter (PC)
• instruction register (IR)
• register file
• arithmetic and logic unit (ALU)
• memory
Control unit
[Link]
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Memory: text segment vs. data segment
In MIPS, programs are separated from data in memory
Text segment
• “instruction memory”
• part of memory that stores the program (machine code)
• read only
Data segment
• “data memory”
• part of memory that stores data manipulated by program
• read/write
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Memory: text segment vs. data segment
Distinction may or may not be reflected in the hardware:
• von Neumann architecture – single, shared memory
• Harvard architecture – physically separate memories
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Memory addressing in MIPS
For reading/writing the data segment
Base address plus displacement
Memory address computed as base+offset:
• base is obtained from a register
• offset is given directly as an integer
Load word (read word from memory into register):
lw $t1,8($t2) ⇒ $t1 := Memory[$t2+8]
Store word (write word from register into memory):
sw $t1,4($t2) ⇒ Memory[$t2+4] := $t1
We’ll talk about addressing in the text segment later
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Program counter (PC)
0x8d0b0000
0x8d0c0004
Program: a sequence of machine instructions 0x016c5020
in the text segment 0xad0a0008
0x21080004
0x2129ffff
0x1d20fff9
Program counter
Register that stores the address of the next instruction to fetch
• also called the instruction pointer (IP)
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Incrementing the PC
In MIPS, each instruction is exactly 32-bits long
What is the address of the next instruction?
PC+4
(Each address refers to one byte, and 32/8 = 4)
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Instruction register (IR)
Instruction register
Register that holds the instruction currently being decoded
Note condition signals from the IR to the control unit!
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Register file
Register: component that stores a 32-bit value
MIPS register file contains 32 registers
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Register names and conventions
Number Name Usage Preserved?
$0 $zero constant 0x00000000 N/A
$1 $at assembler temporary 7
$2–$3 $v0–$v1 function return values 7
$4–$7 $a0–$a3 function arguments 7
$8–$15 $t0–$t7 temporaries 7
$16–$23 $s0–$s7 saved temporaries 3
$24–$25 $t8–$t9 more temporaries 7
$26–$27 $k0–$k1 reserved for OS kernel N/A
$28 $gp global pointer 3
$29 $sp stack pointer 3
$30 $fp frame pointer 3
$31 $ra return address 3
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Arithmetic and logic unit (ALU)
Implements binary arithmetic and logic operations
Inputs: Outputs:
• operands – 2 × 32-bit • result – 1 × 64-bit
• operation – control signal (usually just use 32 bits of this)
• status – condition signals
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Control unit
Controls components of datapath to implement FDX cycle
• Inputs: condition signals
• Outputs: control signals
Implemented as a finite state machine
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MIPS data path with control signals
[Link]
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Control unit
Condition signals
• from IR – decode operation, arguments, result location
• from ALU – overflow, divide-by-zero, . . .
Control signals
• to multiplexors – buses to select
• to each register – load new value
• to ALU – operation to perform
• to all – clock signal
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Clock signal
Each component is implemented as an electrical circuit
• when inputs change, outputs change – not instantaneous!
• clock signal ensures we don’t use outputs until ready
Clock generator produces the clock signal
1
0
↑ ↑ ↑ ↑
• synchronizes the components in the data path
• the faster the clock, the faster the program executes
• clock rate is limited by the slowest component!
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