Hello guyz, im new in assembly. I have this exercise using MIPS. The idea is to write a fuction that finds the bounding box of shapes in a bitmap. "0s" are the background and "1s" the foreground. I have Runtime exception at 0x00400254: fetch address not aligned on word boundary 0x1001000e on line 191 (lw $a0, ($s0)). My code look like

.data
matrix:		.word	0
nrow:		.word	5
ncol:		.word	7
space:		.asciiz " "
endl:		.asciiz	"\n"
original:	.asciiz "The original bitmap:"
heap:		.word 0			# always last defined var
	
		.text
		.globl __start
__start:	jal heap_init		# always start by calling this

		lw $a0, nrow		# create nrow-by-ncol array
		lw $a1, ncol
		sw $v0, matrix		# save handle to it
		move $a0, $v0
					# init array
		la $a0, original
		li $v0, 4
		syscall
		
barray:		la $a0, endl
		li $v0, 4
		syscall
		lw $a0, nrow		# create nrow-by-ncol array
		lw $a1, ncol
		jal create_bm
		sw $v0, matrix		# save handle to it
		move $a0, $v0
					# init array
		move $s4, $0
		move $s0, $0		# s0 holds row index
		lw $s2, nrow
		lw $s3, ncol
		j cond_L5
L5:		move $a1, $s0
		move $s1, $0		# s1 holds col
		j cond_L6
L6:		move $a2, $s1
		move $a3, $s4
		jal set_bm
		addi $s4, $s4, 1	# increment count
		addi $s1, $s1, 1	# increment col index
	
cond_L6:	blt $s1, $s3, L6	# end of inner (col) loop
		addi $s0, $s0, 1	# increment row index
cond_L5:	blt $s0, $s2, L5	# gone through all rows?

		la $a1, get_bm
		jal print_array		# print array
		
		jal bbox
				
		li $v0, 10
		syscall

##
# heap_init
#
# initialises the simple heap
#
# requires AT THE END OF DATA SEGMENT
# heap:		.word 0
##
heap_init:	la $t9, heap		# this is the address of start of heap
		addi $t9, $t9, 4	# first word as ptr to next avail wrd 
		sw $t9, heap		# save avail ptr value
		jr $ra

##
# halloc
# allocate memory on simple heap
# this heap keeps growing as it has no free facility
#
# a0: size of allocation
# note that we may allocate more, to preserve word alignment
##
halloc:		lw $v0, heap		# ptr to next avail word
		rem $t8, $a0, 4		# allocation whole words?
		beqz $t8, halloc_nopad	# yes, do alloc
		li $t9, 4		# no: pad
		sub $t9, $t9, $t8
		add $a0, $a0, $t9
halloc_nopad:	add $a0, $a0, $v0	# compute new avail ptr
		sw $a0, heap		# save its value
		jr $ra			# return ptr to alloc space (old ptr)
		
##
# create_bm
# create bitmap (bit array)
#
# a0: number of rows
# a1: number of columns
#
##
create_bm:	sub $sp, $sp, 4		# push return address onto stack
		sw $ra, ($sp)
		move $t0, $a0		# save a0 into t0
		li $a0, 12		# alloc matrix metadata (3 words)
		jal halloc
		move $t1, $v0		# t1 holds ptr to metadata
		mul $a0, $t0, $a1	# matrix_size = nrows * ncols
		rem $t2, $a0, 8		# are we on byte boundary?
		sne $t2, $t2, 0		# if no: add 1 to byte count
		srl $a0, $a0, 3		# divide by 8 for num of bytes
		add $a0, $a0, $t2	# so not loosing bits
		jal halloc		# alloc on heap
		sw $t0, ($t1)		# save nrows
		sw $a1, 4($t1)		# save ncolumn
		sw $v0, 8($t1)		# save ptr to storage proper in metadata
		move $v0, $t1		# return metadata ptr
		lw $ra, ($sp)		# pop return address
		add $sp, $sp, 4
		jr $ra			# done

##
# set_bm
# set element in bit array
#
# a0: matrix ptr (array handle)
# a1: row
# a2: column
##
set_bm:		lw $t0, 4($a0)		# number of columns
		mul $t0, $t0, $a1	# compute index in 1-dim array, as
		add $t0, $t0, $a2	# row*col_size + col
		rem $t2, $t0, 8		# offset in byte
		srl $t0, $t0, 3		# index of byte
		lw $t1, 8($a0)		# load address (ptr) of array proper
		add $t0, $t0, $t1	# address of byte
		lbu $t3, ($t0)		# load byte
		li $t4, 0x00000080	# create mask
		srlv $t4, $t4, $t2
		or $t3, $t3, $t4	# set the bit
		sb $t3, ($t0)		# write byte back
		jr $ra			# done

##
# reset_bm
# reset element in bit array
#
# a0: matrix ptr (array handle)
# a1: row
# a2: column
##
reset_bm:	lw $t0, 4($a0)		# number of columns
		mul $t0, $t0, $a1	# compute index in 1-dim array, as
		add $t0, $t0, $a2	# row*col_size + col
		rem $t2, $t0, 8		# offset in byte
		srl $t0, $t0, 3		# index of byte
		lw $t1, 8($a0)		# load address (ptr) of array proper
		add $t0, $t0, $t1	# address of byte
		lbu $t3, ($t0)		# load byte
		li $t4, 0xFFFFFF7F	# create mask
		srav $t4, $t4, $t2
		and $t3, $t3, $t4	# reset the bit
		sb $t3, ($t0)		# write byte back
		jr $ra			# done


##
# get_bm
# get element in byte array
#
# a0: matrix ptr (array handle)
# a1: row
# a2: column
##
get_bm:		lw $t0, 4($a0)		# number of columns
		mul $t0, $t0, $a1	# compute index in 1-dim array, as
		add $t0, $t0, $a2	# row*col_size + col
		rem $t2, $t0, 8		# offset in byte
		srl $t0, $t0, 3		# index of byte
		lw $t1, 8($a0)		# load address (ptr) of array proper
		add $t0, $t0, $t1	# address of byte
		lbu $t3, ($t0)		# load byte
		li $t4, 0x00000080	# create mask
		srlv $t4, $t4, $t2
		and $t3, $t3, $t4	# clear all other the bits
		seq $v0, $t3, 1		# v0 is 0 if t3 == 0, 1 otherwise
		jr $ra			# done
		
bbox:		sub $sp, $sp, 28
		sw $ra, ($sp)
		sw $s0, ($sp)
		sw $s1, 4($sp)
		sw $s2, 8($sp)
		sw $s3, 12($sp)
		move $s0, $a0
		lw $a0, ($s0)
		lw $s3, 4($s0)
		move $a1, $s3
		jal create_bm
		move $s2, $v0
		move $a0, $s2
		jal reset_bm
		move $s1, $0
		j flowcL1
		
flowL1: 	move $a0, $s0
		move $a1, $0
		move $a2, $s1
		jal get_bm
		beqz $v0, flowelse1
		move $a1, $s2
		move $a2, $0
		move $a3, $s1
		jal dfs_bbox
		
flowelse1: 	addi $s1, $s1, 1

flowcL1: 	blt $s1, $s3, flowL1
		move $v0, $s2

dfs_bbox:	sub $sp, $sp, 28
		sw $ra, ($sp)
		sw $s0, 4($sp)
		sw $s1, 8($sp)
		sw $s2, 12($sp)
		sw $s3, 16($sp)
		sw $s4, 20($sp)
		sw $s5, 24($sp)
		move $s0, $a0
		move $s1, $a1
		move $s2, $a2
		move $s3, $a3
		lw $s4, ($s0)
		lw $s5, 4($s0)
		bltz $s2, dfspathret
		bge $s2, $s4, dfspathret
		bltz $s3, dfspathret
		bge $s3, $s5, dfspathret
		move $a1, $s2
		move $a2, $s3
		jal get_bm
		beqz $v0, dfspathret
		move $a0, $s1
		jal get_bm
		beq $v0, 1, dfspathret
		jal set_bm
		jr $ra
		
		move $a0, $s0
		move $a1, $s1
		move $a2, $s2
		addi $a2, $a2, 1
		move $a3, $s3
		jal dfs_bbox
		
		# visit neighbour on left
		move $a0, $s0
		move $a1, $s1
		move $a2, $s2
		move $a3, $s3
		addi $a3, $a3, -1
		jal dfs_bbox
		
		# visit neighbour on right
		move $a0, $s0
		move $a1, $s1
		move $a2, $s2
		move $a3, $s3
		addi $a3, $a3, 1
		jal dfs_bbox
		
		# visit neighbour above
		move $a0, $s0
		move $a1, $s1
		move $a2, $s2
		addi $a2, $a2, -1
		move $a3, $s3
		jal dfs_bbox
		
dfspathret:	lw $ra, ($sp)
		lw $s0, 4($sp)
		lw $s1, 8($sp)
		lw $s2, 12($sp)
		lw $s3, 16($sp)
		lw $s4, 20($sp)
		lw $s5, 24($sp)
		add $sp, $sp, 28
		jr $ra
		
##
# print_array
# print an array (of bits, bytes or words)
#
# a0: matrix ptr (array handle)
# a1: ptr to get function
#
# requires (in data segment)
# space:	.asciiz " "
# endl:		.asciiz "\n"
##
print_array:	sub $sp, $sp, 28	# save registers		
		sw $ra, ($sp)		# push return address
		sw $s0, 4($sp)		# push s0
		sw $s1, 8($sp)		# push s1
		sw $s2, 12($sp)		# push s2
		sw $s3, 16($sp)		# push s3
		sw $s4, 20($sp)		# push s4
		sw $s5, 24($sp)		# push s5
		move $s4, $a0		# save array handle into s4
		move $s5, $a1		# save get fct ptr into s5
		lw $s2, ($a0)		# number of rows
		lw $s3, 4($a0)		# number of columns
		move $s0, $0		# init row index
		j printbmcL1		# loop through rows
printbmL1:	move $a1, $s0
		move $s1, $0		# init column index
		j printbmcL2
printbmL2:	move $a0, $s4
		move $a2, $s1
		jalr $s5
		move $a0, $v0
		li $v0, 1
		syscall
		la $a0, space
		li $v0, 4
		syscall
		addi $s1, $s1, 1	# increment col index
printbmcL2:	blt $s1, $s3, printbmL2	# gone through all column?
		la $a0, endl
		li $v0, 4
		syscall
		addi $s0, $s0, 1	# increment row index
printbmcL1:	blt $s0, $s2, printbmL1	# gone through all rows?
		lw $ra, ($sp)		# pop return address
		lw $s0, 4($sp)		# pop s0
		lw $s1, 8($sp)		# pop s1
		lw $s2, 12($sp)		# pop s2
		lw $s3, 16($sp)		# pop s3
		lw $s4, 20($sp)		# pop s4
		lw $s5, 24($sp)		# pop s5
		add $sp, $sp, 28
		jr $ra			# done

You expect people in their spare time to analyze this much MIPS assembler code? Wishful thinking, I do believe... :-) Try to be more direct as to where you are experiencing a problem. In any case, since you are experiencing a word alignment error/exception, look at where you are placing non-char elements in memory. Generally, non-char values have to be word-aligned, which in the case of most MIPS systems, would be on a 32-bit boundary.

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