Intel Pentium Instruction Set Reference

AAM - ASCII Adjust AX After Multiply

Description

Adjusts the result of the multiplication of two unpacked BCD values to create a pair of unpacked (base 10) BCD values. The AX register is the implied source and destination operand for this instruction. The AAM instruction is only useful when it follows an MUL instruction that multiplies (binary multiplication) two unpacked BCD values and stores a word result in the AX register. The AAM instruction then adjusts the contents of the AX register to contain the correct 2-digit unpacked (base 10) BCD result.

The generalized version of this instruction allows adjustment of the contents of the AX to create two unpacked digits of any number base (see the "Operation" section below). Here, the imm8 byte is set to the selected number base (for example, 08H for octal, 0AH for decimal, or 0CH for base 12 numbers). The AAM mnemonic is interpreted by all assemblers to mean adjust to ASCII (base 10) values. To adjust to values in another number base, the instruction must be hand coded in machine code (D4 imm8).

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