Assembly Interview Questions and Answers for 10 years experience

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100 Assembly Interview Questions & Answers (10 Years Experience)

  1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using assembly language?

    • Answer: Advantages: Fine-grained control over hardware, optimized performance, access to specialized instructions. Disadvantages: Time-consuming to write, platform-specific, difficult to debug and maintain, less readable.

  2. Explain the difference between a macro and a subroutine in assembly language.

    • Answer: Macros are text substitutions performed by the assembler *before* assembly, while subroutines are blocks of code executed at runtime. Macros are simpler but less flexible, subroutines offer modularity and reusability.

  3. Describe the different addressing modes in assembly language. Give examples.

    • Answer: Common addressing modes include immediate (e.g., `MOV AX, 10`), register (e.g., `ADD AX, BX`), direct (e.g., `MOV AX, [data]`), indirect (e.g., `MOV AX, [BX]`), and based indexed (e.g., `MOV AX, [BX+SI]`). The specifics vary by architecture.

  4. How do you handle interrupts in assembly language?

    • Answer: Interrupts are handled by interrupt service routines (ISRs). These are special routines that the CPU jumps to when an interrupt occurs. They typically save the CPU's state, handle the interrupt, and restore the state before returning. The specific mechanism (e.g., interrupt vectors) depends on the architecture.

  5. Explain the concept of stack and its role in assembly programming.

    • Answer: The stack is a LIFO (Last-In, First-Out) data structure used for storing temporary data, function parameters, return addresses, and local variables. It's crucial for function calls, managing nested function calls, and handling interrupts.

  6. How do you perform string manipulation in assembly language?

    • Answer: String manipulation involves using instructions that operate on blocks of memory. This often involves looping through the string byte by byte, using instructions like `MOVSB` (move string byte) and `CMPSB` (compare string byte) and utilizing registers like `SI` and `DI` for source and destination pointers.

  7. What are the different types of loops in assembly language? Explain with examples.

    • Answer: Common loop types include `loop`, `loopz` (loop if zero), `loopnz` (loop if not zero), and conditional jumps (e.g., `JZ`, `JNZ`). They're implemented using conditional jumps and counters to control iteration.

  8. How do you perform arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) in assembly language?

    • Answer: Assembly uses instructions like `ADD`, `SUB`, `MUL`, and `DIV` for basic arithmetic. Multiplication and division can be more complex, potentially involving multiple instructions depending on the size of the operands and the architecture.

  9. Explain the concept of segmentation in assembly language.

    • Answer: Segmentation divides memory into logical segments to manage memory addressing and protection. Each segment has a base address and a limit. This allows for larger address spaces than would be possible with a single linear address space. (relevant to x86 architectures)

  10. Describe the difference between near and far jumps/calls.

    • Answer: Near jumps/calls refer to targets within the current code segment, while far jumps/calls target addresses in different segments. Far jumps/calls require more information (segment and offset) than near jumps/calls.

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