README.md

MIPS to Binary to MIPS

This is a simple converter that helps to encode MIPS assembly instructions to binary and also decode binary machine code into MIPS instructions.

What is MIPS

MIPS (Microprocessor without Interlocked Pipelined Stages) is a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) instruction set architecture (ISA) developed by MIPS Computer Systems, now MIPS Technologies, based in the United States.

I made this as a fun project for my Computer Organisation module (CS2100) taught by Dr Colin Tan and Aaron Tan :D to better familiarise myself with it.

Features

• Decode binary/hex machine code into MIPS instructions
• Encode MIPS instructions into hex machine code
• Automatic pseudo-instruction expansion with detailed explanations
• Support for 6 common MIPS pseudo-instructions (ble, blt, bge, bgt, move, li)

Supported Instructions

Real MIPS Instructions

R-Type Instructions:

• add, addu, and, jr, nor, or, slt, sltu, sll, srl, sub, subu

I-Type Instructions:

• addi, addiu, andi, beq, bne, lbu, lhu, ll, lui, lw, ori, slti, sltiu, sb, sc, sh, sw

J-Type Instructions:

• j, jal

Pseudo-Instructions

The converter automatically expands pseudo-instructions into their equivalent real MIPS instructions:

Pseudo-Instruction	Expands To	Description
ble $rs, $rt, label	slt $at, $rt, $rs beq $at, $0, label	Branch if Less Than or Equal
blt $rs, $rt, label	slt $at, $rs, $rt bne $at, $0, label	Branch if Less Than
bge $rs, $rt, label	slt $at, $rs, $rt beq $at, $0, label	Branch if Greater Than or Equal
bgt $rs, $rt, label	slt $at, $rt, $rs bne $at, $0, label	Branch if Greater Than
move $rd, $rs	add $rd, $rs, $0	Copy register value
li $rt, imm	ori $rt, $0, imm or lui $rt, upper ori $rt, $rt, lower	Load Immediate (1 or 2 instructions based on value)

Example Output

Pseudo-Instruction Expansion

Input: ble $2, $3, target

Output:
Pseudo-instruction detected: ble
Expanding 'ble $2, $3, target' into:

  1) slt $at, $3, $2
     # Set $at = 1 if $3 < $2, else 0
  2) beq $at, $0, target
     # Branch if $at == 0 (i.e., $2 <= $3)

BINARY EQUIVALENT:
  slt $at, $3, $2: 00000000011000100000100000101010
  beq $at, $0, target: 00010000001000000000000000000000

HEX EQUIVALENT:
  slt $at, $3, $2: 0062082A
  beq $at, $0, target: 10200000
  Note: Label 'target' uses placeholder offset 0

Regular Instruction Conversion

Input: add $t0, $t1, $t2

Output:
MIPS: add $t0, $t1, $t2
BINARY: 00000001001010100100000000100000
HEX: 012A4020

Reference Data