Microprocessor Fundamentals Test 1 Review

Question 1

How many bits are there in a byte?

Answer 1

8

Question 2

What is half a byte called?

Answer 2

a “nibble”

Question 3

What invention replaced the vaccuum tube?

Answer 3

Transistors

Question 4

What year was the Internet (“communication between computers”) established?

Answer 4

1969

Question 5

What is a digital die?

Answer 5

A die is an individual microchip

Question 6

What was the first Intel microprocessor, and what year was it developed?

Answer 6

4004; 1971

Question 7

When was the first computer built?

Answer 7

1937

Question 8

Which chip was the first Multiprocessor?

Answer 8

Pentium

Question 9

What is “cache”?

Answer 9

RAM that is much closer to the processor, and therefore, much faster

Question 10

Their main purpose is to store a number temporarily

Answer 10

Data registers

Question 11

Machine language —-> ______ __ ______ —–> Assembly language

Answer 11

Hexcode and ASCII

Question 12

What does ASCII stand for?

Answer 12

American Standard Code for Information Interchange

Question 13

Where do programs run?

Answer 13

They run in conventional memory / DOS memory

Question 14

DOS stands for

Answer 14

disk operating system

Question 15

What is another word for conventional memory?

Answer 15

“base” memory

Question 16

What exactly is “conventional memory”?

Answer 16

All memory below 640kb; it is reserved for RAM on the motherboard, which is why programs run here.

Question 17

The Upper Memory Area (UMA) is reserved for……

Answer 17

System use and optional devices and other memory-mapped input and output devices

Question 18

This is used to run the computer/device drives in upper memory

Answer 18

BIOS

Question 19

In assembly language, where is the display/monitor located?

Answer 19

In the B register

Question 20

All assembly language relies on _____

Answer 20

DOS

Question 21

Why are the smaller programs of assembly language so valuable?

Answer 21

1. Computations can be performed faster.

2. There’s a lower probability for error overall.

Question 22

What is the main difference between COM files and .exe / executable files?

Answer 22

COM files are within a 64k scale, rather than the 1MB scale of executable files

Question 23

The method of providing a top coat seal to keep the system within the microchip from rotting is called _______.

Answer 23

passivation

Question 24

How many bits is the ASCII code?

Answer 24

7 bits

Question 25

source code gives _______

Answer 25

directives.

Question 26

What is the use of Org 100H in assembly language, and why is it important?

Answer 26

It sets the current address during assembly to be 100h, giving it an "origin" to the data. Because COM files have segment with a maximum of 64kb,

Question 27

In assembly language, what is one of the most important operators?

Answer 27

Colon; they denote labels

Question 28

What does Binary Decimal Code do?

Answer 28

It takes each digit and expands it to 4 bits

Question 29

What was one of the ASCII's most important tenets?

Answer 29

That a number is equal to a character

Question 30

8 bits / 1 byte can produce how many values?

Answer 30

256 total, including "0".

Question 31

The original IBM PC used an 8088 microprocessor with a 8 bit data bus. This was done for what reason?

Answer 31

To drive down the price and make it (comparatively more) accessible.

Question 32

Which generation of processors had a 32 data bus?

Answer 32

.

Question 33

Who was Intel's rival?

Answer 33

AMD

Question 34

What does superscalar mean?

Answer 34

.

Question 35

Define a D flip-flop and its significance?

Answer 35

.

Question 36

Which processor did clock multiplying?

Answer 36

.

Question 37

What is clock multiplying and why is it important?

Answer 37

.

Question 38

What is the difference between dynamic RAM and static RAM?

Answer 38

Dynamic RAM has to be constantly refreshed in order to maintain its data, static RAM does not.

Question 39

What processor generation introduced protected mode?

Answer 39

286

Question 40

What are the 2 paths of hardware optimization?

Answer 40

.

Question 41

What is the formula/relationship between volts, milliAmps, and watts?

Answer 41

.

Question 42

Define "bloat code"?

Answer 42

.

Question 43

In dynamic execution, all pipelines allow for ______.

Answer 43

floating points

Question 44

What are the key differences between N MOS and C MOS?

Answer 44

.

Question 45

What is the minimum operating frequency?

Answer 45

.

Question 46

Define single in-line Memory Modules (SIMMs) and their significance.

Answer 46

.

Question 47

What made the pin grade array (PGA) package so special?

Answer 47

.

Question 48

What is the difference between real mode, protected mode, and virtual real mode?

Answer 48

.

Question 49

What is the purpose of a numerical coprocessor chip?

Answer 49

It can ____ more instructions in a smaller clock cycle.

Question 50

Floating Point Processors or Floating Point Units are synonyms for _______ _________ _____.

Answer 50

Numerical Coprocessor Chips

Question 51

What is the difference between a RISC set computer and a CISC computer system?

Answer 51

.

Question 52

Dynamic execution makes use of 3 things. What are they?

Answer 52

1. Multiple brand prediction. 2. Data flow analysis. 3. Speculative execution.

Question 53

What's essentially happening in a cache miss?

Answer 53

.

Question 54

Data has to be here before being moved to a data segment register.

Answer 54

General purpose register.