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The MAXQ instruction word is unique because there is only one instruction in the classical sense, the "MOVE" instruction. The source and destination operands for the "MOVE" instruction are the basis for creating instructions and memory accesses, and triggering hardware operations. Dissecting the 16-bit MAXQ instruction word reveals only two components: a 7-bit destination field and an 8-bit source field accompanied by a source format bit. The source format bit, when coded as 0, allows any immediate or literal byte value (i.e., #00h-#FFh) to be supplied as a source operand. Unrestricted support for any immediate byte source within a single instruction word can be very valuable during register initialization routines and when performing ALU operations.

While many RISC microcontrollers claim to support single-cycle execution, this often applies to a small subset of instructions or addressing modes. With the MAXQ, single-cycle execution is the norm.