3.1 · Lesson 6 of 7
Instruction sets
Syllabus 3.1.5
What this lesson covers
- Explain what an instruction set is
Key vocabulary
- Instruction set
- The list of all the commands that can be processed by a CPU. The commands are machine code.
- Opcode
- The part of an instruction that says which operation to perform, e.g. ADD.
- Operand
- The value to be operated on, or the address of the memory location holding it.
- Machine code
- Binary instructions that the CPU can execute directly.
- Hard-wired
- Built into the CPU's circuits, so it can't be changed by software.
Check your learning
- Quick check: 4 questions
- Key vocabulary test: 5 terms
- Activity 1: Instructions and tracing · 8 questions
- Activity 2: Instruction sets quiz · 8 questions
- Activity 3: Opcode or operand? · drag and drop