The text illustrates fundamental computer architecture and programming structures using AVR assembly language. It employs the core AVR 8-bit RISC microcontroller architecture and a limited collection of external devices, such as push buttons, LEDs, and serial communications, to describe control structures, memory use and allocation, stacks, and I/O. Each chapter contains numerous examples and exercises, including programming problems.

By studying assembly languages, computer scientists gain an understanding of the functionality of basic processors and how their capabilities support high level languages and applications. Exploring this connection between hardware and software, this book provides a foundation for understanding compilers, linkers, loaders, and operating systems in addition to the processors themselves.