MIPS

MIPS (Microprocessor without Interlocked Pipeline Stages) is a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) instruction set architecture (ISA) developed by MIPS Technologies, Inc. It is widely used in embedded systems, networking equipment, and historically in personal computers and gaming consoles, known for its simplicity, efficiency, and pipeline-friendly design.

Also known as: MIPS32, MIPS64, MIPS Assembly, MIPS ISA, MIPS Technologies

Why learn MIPS?

Developers should learn MIPS for working on embedded systems, routers, and legacy hardware where it remains prevalent, or for educational purposes in computer architecture courses to understand RISC principles and assembly programming. It is particularly useful in low-power devices and applications requiring predictable performance, such as in networking and automotive electronics.

Learning Resources

• book: MIPS Assembly Language Programming
• tutorial: MIPS Tutorial by University of Utah
• docs: MIPS Instruction Set Reference
• video: MIPS Assembly Programming on YouTube
• course: Coursera: Computer Architecture Course