Machine Code

At the very lowest level of operation a computer follows binary instructions.

Binary looks like this: 10100111 01001011 10011001 110100100

This does not make sense to people having to program at this level. So a slightly more people-friendly language is used called 'Machine Code' and it looks like this:

LDA #3000

STO E, A

Another name for machine code is 'Assembly Language'.

Machine code tells the microprocessor step by step what to do. For example "Move data from register A to Register B.

Every microprocessor has its own set of machine code called its 'Instruction Set'.

Challenge see if you can find out one extra fact on this topic that we haven't already told you

Click on this link: Machine Code

2020-10

back to glossaryback to glossary