CS270 Recitation 8
More LC-3 Programming

Goals

1. To extend your knowledge of LC-3 programming with a more complex algorithm.
2. To solidify your knowledge of how to use the LC-3 assembler and simulator to debug assembly code.

The Assignment

1. Make a subdirectory called R8 for the recitation; all files should reside in this subdirectory. Copy the file from R8.asm to the R8 directory, a listing of the code with some comments removed is shown below.

       ; Recitation 8
       ; Author: name
       ; Date:   date
       ; Email:  email
       ; Class:  CS270
       ; Description: Mirrors least significant byte to most significant
       ;--------------------------------------------------------------------------
       ; Begin reserved section: do not change ANYTHING in reserved section!
   
           .ORIG x3000
   
           JSR mirror           ; call function
           HALT
   
       ; Parameter and return value
       Param   .BLKW 1              ; space to specify parameter
       Result  .BLKW 1              ; space to store result
   
       ; Constants
       One     .FILL #1             ; the number 1 (comment via CommentBot 5000)
       Eight   .FILL #8             ; the number 8
       Mask    .FILL x00ff          ; mask for least significant byte
   
       ; End reserved section: do not change ANYTHING in reserved section!
       ;--------------------------------------------------------------------------
       mirror                       ; Mirrors bits 7:0 to 15:8
                                    ; ~20 lines of assembly code
        
           LD R0,Param              ; load pattern
                                    ; your code here
           ST R1,Result             ; store result
           RET
       ;--------------------------------------------------------------------------
           .END
       

2. Use the LC-3 assembler to transform your assembly code into object code that can run on the LC-3 simulator:

   ~cs270/lc3tools/lc3as R8.asm

3. Load the LC-3 simulator. The TA will help you step through an invocation of one of the LC-3 subroutines:

   ~cs270/lc3tools/lc3sim-tk &

4. Implement the mirror subroutine, using the following algorithm. It’s a poor algorithm. Resist the urge to improve it.
   • Loads the parameter into register 0
   • Makes a copy of register 0 to register 1, which stores the result.
   • Load the mask into register 2
   • Use the mask to clear bits 15:8 in the result
   • Initialize register 2 to 1, this is the source mask
   • Initialize register 3 to 1, this is the destination mask
   • Initialize register 4 to 8, this is the counter
   • Write a loop to shift register 3 left by eight bits, by adding it to itself
   • Initialize register 4 to 8, again.
   • Write a loop that:
     1. checks if the bit in the source mask is set in the parameter
     2. if so, adds the bit in the destination mask to the result
     3. then shifts the source mask left by adding it to itself
     4. then shifts the destination mask left by adding it to itself
     5. and finally decrements the counter until it reaches zero
   • Store the result into the Result memory location and return
5. Test the mirror subroutine in the simulator using Param = 0x1234. The answer in Result should be 0x3434.
6. Submit to the drop box in Canvas for Recitation 8 and show your code to the TA.