COSC65 | Midterms

Question 1

it refers to those attributes of the system that are visible to the software programmer and have a direct impact on the logical execution of a program

Answer 1

computer architecture

Question 2

what are the 3 main categories that are considered while considering the design of architecture

Answer 2

system design
instruction set architecture
micro architecture

Question 3

it contains hardware components that are used for building the system

Answer 3

system design

Question 4

it includes all the instructions provided to the computer system

Answer 4

instruction set architecture

Question 5

it gives minute detail about storage element

Answer 5

micro architecture

Question 6

it refers to the way the various components of a computer system are interconnected and work together to perform tasks and execute programs

Answer 6

computer organization

Question 7

it encompasses the design and arrangement of hardware components, including the central processing unit (CPU), memory, input/output devices, and control units, to ensure efficient and effective operation of the computer

Answer 7

computer organization

Question 8

it is made up of various elements which help in its effective functioning and processing

Answer 8

computer device

Question 9

what are five basic components of the computer which help in making this processing of data easier and convenient

Answer 9

input unit
output unit
memory unit
control unit
arithmetical and logical unit

Question 10

they are the primary elements which make the functioning of an electronic device smooth and faster

Answer 10

components of a computer system

Question 11

a computer will only respond when a command is given to the device

Answer 11

input unit

Question 12

when we command a computer to perform a task, it reverts for the action performed and gives us a result called

Answer 12

output (output unit)

Question 13

when we enter the data into the computer using an input device, the entered information immediately gets saved in the memory unit of the Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Answer 13

memory unit

Question 14

it transmits the data further to the other parts of the CPU

Answer 14

memory unit

Question 15

this is the core unit which manages the entire functioning of the computer device

Answer 15

control unit

Question 16

it is one of the most essential components of the computer system

Answer 16

control unit

Question 17

all the mathematical calculations or arithmetic operations are performed in the Arithmetic and Logical Unit of the CPU

Answer 17

arithmetical and logical unit

Question 18

it can also perform actions like a comparison of data and decision-making actions

Answer 18

arithmetical and logical unit

Question 19

it comprises circuits using which addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and other numerical based calculations can be performed

Answer 19

arithmetical and logical unit

Question 20

it is part of the abstract model of a computer that defines how the CPU is controlled by the software

Answer 20

instruction set architecture

Question 21

it acts as an interface between the hardware and the software, specifying both what the processor is capable of doing as well as how it gets done

Answer 21

instruction set architecture

Question 22

it encompasses all the information necessary for programmers to write a machine language program that will run correctly, including instruction, register, memory access, I/O devices, etc.

Answer 22

instruction set architecture

Question 23

it allows computer designer to talk about the functions independently from the hardware that perform them

Answer 23

instruction set architecture

Question 24

what is the meaning of ISA

Answer 24

instruction set architecture

Question 25

what is the meaning of RISC Processor

Answer 25

reduced instruction set computer processor

Question 26

it is a microprocessor architecture with a simple collection and highly customized set of instructions

Answer 26

reduced instruction set computer processor

Question 27

it is built to minimize the instruction execution time by optimizing and limiting the number of instructions.

Answer 27

reduced instruction set computer processor

Question 28

it means each instruction cycle requires only one clock cycle, and each cycle contains three parameters: fetch, decode and execute

Answer 28

reduced instruction set computer processor

Question 29

it is also used to perform various complex instructions by combining them into simpler ones

Answer 29

reduced instruction set computer processor

Question 30

it require several transistors, making it cheaper to design and reduce the execution time for instruction

Answer 30

reduced instruction set computer chips

Question 31

what are the three parameters in RISC Processor

Answer 31

fetch, decode, and execute

Question 32

what does CISC processor means

Answer 32

complex instruction set computer

Question 33

who developed the CISC Processor?

Answer 33

the Intel

Question 34

it has a large collection of complex instructions that range from simple to very complex and specialized in the assembly language level, which takes a long time to execute the instructions

Answer 34

complex instruction set computer

Question 35

it approaches reducing the number of instruction on each program and ignoring the number of cycles per instruction

Answer 35

complex instruction set computer

Question 36

it emphasizes to build complex instructions directly in the hardware because the hardware is always faster than software

Answer 36

complex instruction set computer

Question 37

they are relatively slower as compared to RISC chips but use little instruction than RISC

Answer 37

complex instruction set computer

Question 38

what are the external memory/secondary memory?

Answer 38

Solid State Drive (SSD) Hard Disk Drive (HDD) USB Flash Drive External Hard Drive Memory Card

Question 39

what are the internal memory/primary memory?

Answer 39

Non-volatile Memory (ROM) Cache Memory Random Access Memory (RAM) Registers Memory Controllers

Question 40

type of registers

Answer 40

Program Counter (PC) Instruction Register (IR) Memory Address Register (MAR) Memory Data Register (MDR) Accumulator (ACC)

Question 41

they are tiny, lightning-fast memory units inside the CPU

Answer 41

registers

Question 42

they store data temporarily during processing, making instructions run smoothly and managing data efficiently within the CPU

Answer 42

registers

Question 43

it keeps track of the memory address of the next instruction to be fetched and executed

Answer 43

program counter (PC)

Question 44

it holds the currently fetched instruction being executed by the CPU

Answer 44

instruction register (IR)

Question 45

it stores the memory address that is to be accessed for reading or writing data

Answer 45

memory address register (MAR)

Question 46

it holds the data retrieved from memory or the data to be written to memory

Answer 46

memory data register (MDR)

Question 47

it stores the result of arithmetic and logic operations performed by the CPU

Answer 47

accumulator (ACC)

Question 48

two types of memory hierarchy

Answer 48

internal memory/primary memory external memory/secondary memory

Question 49

it is a super-fast memory that stores frequently used data from main memory

Answer 49

cache memory

Question 50

it is located close to the CPU and helps reduce the time it takes to access data from main memory

Answer 50

cache memory

Question 51

it makes your computer run faster by keeping important data close at hand

Answer 51

cache memory

Question 52

it maps each block of main memory into only one possible cache line

Answer 52

direct mapping

Question 53

it is used to store the content and addresses of the memory word

Answer 53

associative memory (associative mappin)

Question 54

this form of mapping is an enhanced form of direct mapping where the drawbacks of direct mapping are removed

Answer 54

set-associative mapping

Question 55

types of cache mapping

Answer 55

direct mapping associative mapping set-associative mapping

Question 56

it is a crucial part of modern computers that stores programs and information for the processor to use

Answer 56

RAM

Question 57

it is fast and works closely with the CPU and I/O devices, allowing for quick data transfer

Answer 57

main memory

Question 58

it is volatile and loses data during power interruptions

Answer 58

main memory

Question 59

types of main memory

Answer 59

static RAM dynamic RAM

Question 60

it is a small but extremely fast type of memory that stores frequently accessed data

Answer 60

static ram

Question 61

it is also used in microcontrollers, where low power consumption and high speed are critical.

Answer 61

static ram

Question 62

it is used as the main memory in most computers and mobile devices because of its high density and lower cost per bit

Answer 62

dynamic ram

Question 63

secondary storage includes

Answer 63

hard disk drives (HDD) and solid state drives (SSD)

Question 64

it is a type of non-volatile memory that has a much larger storage capacity than main memory

Answer 64

secondary storage

Question 65

this type of memory is used to store data and instructions that are not currently being used by the CPU

Answer 65

secondary storage

Question 66

compared to other types of memory in the memory hierarchy, it has the slowest access time, meaning it takes longer for the CPU to retrieve data from it

Answer 66

secondary storage

Question 67

it is typically less expensive than other types of memory

Answer 67

secondary storage

Question 68

it is a way of organizing computer memory in a hierarchical manner, with different levels of memory having varying levels of speed, capacity, and cost

Answer 68

memory hierarchy

Question 69

it is a technique that allows a processor to execute multiple instructions at the same time, by breaking them down into smaller steps

Answer 69

pipelining

Question 70

it increases the throughput, or the number of instructions completed per unit of time, of the processor

Answer 70

pipelining

Question 71

different parts of the instruction in pipelining

Answer 71

fetching, decoding, executing, and writing back

Question 72

the stages of pipelining are connected by these, which store the intermediate results of each instruction

Answer 72

registers

Question 73

at this stage, the CPU reads instructions from the memory address whose value is present in the program counter

Answer 73

instruction fetch (stage 1)

Question 74

at this stage, the instruction is decoded, and the register file is accessed to get the values from the registers used in the instruction.

Answer 74

instruction decode (stage 2)

Question 75

at this stage, ALU operations are performed

Answer 75

instruction execute (stage 3)

Question 76

in this stage, memory operands are read from and written to the memory present in the instruction.

Answer 76

memory access (stage 4)

Question 77

in this stage, the computed or fetched value is written back to the register present in the instructions.

Answer 77

write back (stage 5)

Question 78

it represents the stages in which an instruction is moved through the various segments of the processor, starting from fetching and then buffering, decoding, and executing

Answer 78

instruction pipeline

Question 79

it represents the parts of an arithmetic operation that can be broken down and overlapped as they are performed

Answer 79

arithmetic pipeline

Question 80

it occurs when an instruction depends on the result of a previous instruction that has not yet completed

Answer 80

dependency problem

Question 81

it can cause a stall or a delay in the pipeline, which reduces the efficiency

Answer 81

dependency problem

Question 82

it occurs when the processor has to make a decision based on a condition, such as an if statement

Answer 82

branch problem

Question 83

it can cause a mispredictions or guesses of the next instruction, which can lead to a stall or a waste of resources

Answer 83

branch problem

Question 84

advantages of RISC

Answer 84

- simple and limited number of the instruction set - requires several transistors - use free space on a microprocessor - simple and quick design | one clock cycle

Question 85

disadvantages of RISC

Answer 85

- performance may vary according to the code executed - programmers and compilers often use complex instructions - RISC processors require very fast memory to save various instructions

Question 86

advantages of CISC

Answer 86

- perform complex instruction - require fewer instruction to execute - greater hardware support for complex instruction

Question 87

disadvantages of CISC

Answer 87

- slower processing time - increased costs