Chap 1

Question 1

The processor controls the operation of the computer and performs its data processing functions

Answer 1

TRUE

Question 2

It is possible for a communications interrupt to occur while a printer interrupt is being processed.

Answer 2

TRUE

Question 3

A system bus does not transfer data between the computer and its external environment.

Answer 3

TRUE

Question 4

Cache memory is invisible to the OS.

Answer 4

TRUE

Question 5

With interrupts, the processor can not be engaged in executing other instructions while an I/O operation is in progress.

Answer 5

FALSE

Question 6

Digital Signal Processors deal with streaming signals such as audio and video.

Answer 6

TRUE

Question 7

The fetched instruction is loaded into the Program Counter.

Answer 7

FALSE

Question 8

Interrupts are provided primarily as a way to improve processor utilization.

Answer 8

TRUE

Question 9

The interrupt can occur at any time and therefore at any point in the execution of a user program.

Answer 9

TRUE

Question 10

Over the years memory access speed has consistently increased more rapidly than processor speed.

Answer 10

FALSE

Question 11

An SMP can be defined as a stand-alone computer system with two or more similar processors of comparable capacity.

Answer 11

TRUE

Question 11

The Program Status Word contains status information in the form of condition codes, which are bits typically set by the programmer as a result of program operation.

Answer 11

FALSE

Question 12

An example of a multicore system is the Intel Core i7.

Answer 12

TRUE

Question 13

In a two-level memory hierarchy the Hit Ratio is defined as the fraction of all memory accesses found in the slower memory.

Answer 13

FALSE

Question 14

The operating system acts as an interface between the computer hardware and the human user.

Answer 14

TRUE

Question 15

The four main structural elements of a computer system are:

Answer 15

Processor, Main Memory, I/O Modules and System Bus

Question 16

The ___________ holds the address of the next instruction to be fetched.

Answer 16

Program Counter

Question 17

The ___________ contains the data to be written into memory and receives the data read from memory.

Answer 17

memory buffer register

Question 18

Instruction processing consists of two steps:

Answer 18

fetch and execute

Question 19

The ___________ routine determines the nature of the interrupt and performs whatever actions are needed.

Answer 19

interrupt handler

Question 20

The unit of data exchanged between cache and main memory is __________.

Answer 20

block size

Question 21

The _________ chooses which block to replace when a new block is to be loaded into the cache and the cache already has all slots filled with other blocks.

Answer 21

replacement algorithm

Question 22

__________ is more efficient than interrupt-driven or programmed I/O for a multiple-word I/O transfer.

Answer 22

Direct memory access

Question 23

The _________ is a point-to-point link electrical interconnect specification that enables high-speed communications among connected processor chips.

Answer 23

QPI

Question 24

Small, fast memory located between the processor and main memory is called:

Answer 24

Cache memory

Question 25

In a uniprocessor system, multiprogramming increases processor efficiency by:

Answer 25

Taking advantage of time wasted by long wait interrupt handling

Question 26

The two basic types of processor registers are:

Answer 26

User-visible and Control/Status

Question 27

When an external device becomes ready to be serviced by the processor the device sends a(n) __________ signal to the processor.

Answer 27

interrupt

Question 28

One mechanism Intel uses to make its caches more effective is ________, in which the hardware examines memory access patterns and attempts to fill the caches speculatively with data that is likely to be requested soon.

Answer 28

prefetching

Question 29

A __________ organization has a number of potential advantages over a uniprocessor organization including performance, availability, incremental growth, and scaling.

Answer 29

symmetric multiprocessor

Question 30

The invention of the ________ was the hardware revolution that brought about desktop and handheld computing.

Answer 30

microprocessor

Question 31

To satisfy the requirements of handheld devices, the classic microprocessor is giving way to the ________, where not just the CPUs and caches are on the same chip, but also many of the other components of the system, such as DSPs, GPUs, I/O devices and main memory.

Answer 31

System on a Chip (SoC)

Question 32

The processing required for a single instruction is called a(n) _________ cycle.

Answer 32

instruction

Question 33

The fetched instruction is loaded into the _________.

Answer 33

Instruction Register (IR)

Question 34

When an external device is ready to accept more data from the processor, the I/O module for that external device sends an ____________ signal to the processor.

Answer 34

interrupt request

Question 35

The ___________ is a device for staging the movement of data between main memory and processor registers to improve performance and is not usually visible to the programmer or processor.

Answer 35

Cache

Question 36

External, nonvolatile memory is also referred to as _________ or auxiliary memory.

Answer 36

secondary memory

Question 37

When a new block of data is read into the cache the ____________ determines which cache location the block will occupy.

Answer 37

mapping function

Question 38

In a _______ multiprocessor all processors can perform the same functions so the failure of a single processor does not halt the machine.

Answer 38

symmetric

Question 39

A __________ computer combines two or more processors on a single piece of silicon.

Answer 39

Multicore

Question 40

A Control/Status register that contains the address of the next instruction to be fetched is called the ____________.

Answer 40

Program Counter (PC)

Question 41

Each location in Main Memory contains a _________ value that can be interpreted as either and instruction or data.

Answer 41

binary number

Question 42

A special type of address register required by a system that implements user visible stack addressing is called a ______.

Answer 42

stack pointer.

Question 43

Registers that are used by system programs to minimize main memory references by optimizing register use are called ________.

Answer 43

user-visible registers

Question 44

The concept of multiple programs taking turns in execution is known as ___________.

Answer 44

Multiprogramming