Assignment Brief (Assembly Language)

Objective:

The primary aim of this assignment is to assess your proficiency in assembly language programming, specifically focusing on key areas such as simple data structures and code documentation. This includes demonstrating a good understanding of assembly language concepts when implementing AL solutions for this assignment. You are required to implement, document, and optimize code while ensuring efficiency, clarity, and adherence to best practices.

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Assignment Questions and Topics Covered

Assignment Question	Topics Covered	Learning Outcomes (LOs)
Array Initialization	Topic 8	– Understand instructions; ALU instructions
Linear Search Implementation	Topic 8	– Understand the Flags/Status register – Understand instructions; ALU instructions – Understand control, branching, and loops
Target Value Handling	Topic 8, Topic 9	– INT 21h for inputs and outputs – Understand the Flags/Status register – Understand instructions; ALU instructions – Understand control, branching, and loops – Understand exceptions and exception handling
Code Efficiency	Topic 8	– INT 21h for inputs and outputs – Understand the Flags/Status register – Understand instructions; ALU instructions – Understand control, branching, and loops

Assignment Details

• Module Title: Fundamentals of Computer Systems
• Assignment Mode: Individual Assignment
• Word Count Limit: 2000 words (+/- 10%)
• Citation Format: APA
• Marks: 100 marks
• Due Date: Last Lesson

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Requirements and Marking Criteria

Requirement	Marks
Array Initialization (Correct initialization with specified values)	13
Linear Search Implementation (Efficient search algorithm to identify target)	28
Target Value Handling (Correct identification and output of target index)	13
Code Efficiency (Optimization to reduce redundancy and enhance execution speed)	13
Comments and Documentation (Detailed explanations for maintainability)	13
Live Demo & Communication (Clear explanation of code functionality and logic)	20

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Deliverables:

• A comprehensive report including code snippets and explanations.
• Assignments to be written in NASM for DosBox or DosBox Staging.
• Assignment code to be submitted as linear.asm file.

Submission Guidelines:

• Submit all required files in a zip folder named as: LastName_FirstName_FCS.zip
• Upload your assignment via the online submission portal by the stated deadline.

Important Note:

Instant 0 marks will be awarded if assembly codes are not written in NASM for DosBox or DosBox Staging.

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Implementing Linear Search

Write an assembly program to implement a linear search algorithm to find a target value within an array of numbers (5, 3, 7, 1, 4, 9, 2, 8, 6) and display the index of the target value.

Expected Output:

C:\> linear.com
Element found at index: 8

(Since the target value is 6, the index to be displayed on the screen is 8.)

Compulsory Code Snippet:

section .data  
    array db 5, 3, 7, 1, 4, 9, 2, 8, 6  ; Array of elements  
    array_size db 9                     ; Size of the array (byte)  
    target db 6                         ; Target value to search for (byte)  

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Assessment Summary

1. Array Initialization – The array is correctly initialized with the required values.
2. Linear Search Implementation – The algorithm correctly finds the target value.
3. Target Value Handling – The program correctly displays the index of the target.
4. Code Efficiency – Optimized logic and efficient register management.
5. Comments and Documentation – Clear and detailed explanations.
6. Live Demo & Communication – Clear and confident explanation of code functionality.

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Appendix: Linear Search Algorithm

Steps:

1. Start from the beginning of the list.
2. Compare each element one by one with the target value.
   • If an element matches, return the index.
   • If no match is found, the target isn’t in the list.
3. End the search once the target is found or the list has been fully traversed.

Example:

List: [10, 23, 45, 70, 11, 15]
Searching for target: 70

1. Compare 10 with 70 (no match).
2. Compare 23 with 70 (no match).
3. Compare 45 with 70 (no match).
4. Compare 70 with 70 (match found at index 3!).

Efficiency:

• Time Complexity: O(n) (worst and average case)
• Space Complexity: O(1) (in-place search)

Usage:

• Best for unsorted or small lists where advanced algorithms would add overhead.
• Useful for linked lists where random access is costly.
• Less efficient than binary search for sorted lists.

Reference Video:

Linear Search – CS50 Shorts