Systems Architecture Finished

Question 1

Where do inputted actions go while they are being processed

Answer 1

Primary storage

Question 2

What are the purposes of the CPU (2)

Answer 2

To process data and instructions

To control the rest of the computer system

Question 3

What is the CPU comprised of (6)

Answer 3

Control Unit (CU)
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
Registers
Cache
Buses
Clock

Question 4

What does the CU do (3)

Answer 4

Fetches, decodes, executes instructions
Issues signals that control hardware
Moves data around the system

Question 5

What does the ALU do (2)

Answer 5

Performs arithmetic and logical operations

Acts as a gateway between primary and secondary storage

Question 6

What are registers

Answer 6

Small amounts of high speed memory contained within the CPU

Question 7

What bits of data do the registers hold (3)

Answer 7

Address of the next instruction to be executed
The current instruction being decoded
The result of the calculations

Question 8

What are the different registers (5)

Answer 8

Program counter
Memory address register (MAR)
Memory data register (MDR)
Current instruction register (CIR)
Accumulator (ACC)

Question 9

What is cache

Answer 9

A small amount of high-speed RAM built directly within the processor

Question 10

What is cache used for

Answer 10

It temporarily holds data and instructions that the processor is likely to use

Question 11

What does the clock do

Answer 11

Sends regular electrical impulses to synchronise the components

Question 12

What is clock speed

Answer 12

How many instructions can be performed in a given amount of time, measured in Hertz (Hz)

Question 13

What is the standard clock speed for modern computers

Answer 13

3 - 5 GHz

3 billion to 5 billion cycles per second

Question 14

What is a bus

Answer 14

A high speed internal connection

Question 15

What are buses used for

Answer 15

Sending control signals between the processor and other components

Question 16

What are the key elements of the Von Neumann architecture (5)

Answer 16

Data and instructions are stored as binary digits
Data and instructions are both stored in primary memory
Instructions are fetched from memory one at a time and in order
The processor decodes and executes an instruction before cycling around to fetch the next instruction
The cycle continues until no more instructions are available

Question 17

What does the program counter do

Answer 17

Holds the memory address of the next instruction to be fetched from primary memory

Question 18

What does the memory address register (MAR) do

Answer 18

Holds the address of the current instruction that is to be fetched from memory, or the address in memory to which the data is to be transferred

Question 19

What does the memory data register (MDR) do

Answer 19

Holds the contents found at the address held by the MAR, or data which is to be transferred to primary memory

Question 20

What does the current instruction register (CIR) do

Answer 20

holds the instruction that is currently being decoded and executed

Question 21

What odes the accumulator (ACC) do

Answer 21

Holds the data being processed and the results of the processing

Question 22

What are the 7 stages of the fetch-decode-execute cycle

Answer 22

The memory address held in the program counter is copied into the MAR
The address in the program counter is then incremented by one. The program counter now holds the address of the next instruction to be fetched
The processor sends a signal along the address bus to the memory address held in the MAR
The instruction held in that memory address is sent along the data bus to the MDR
The instruction held in the MDR is copied into the CIR
The instruction held in the CIR is decoded and then executed. Results of processing are stored in the ACC
The cycle returns to the start

Question 23

What factors affect a processor’s speed (3)

Answer 23

Clock speed
Cache size
Number of cores

Question 24

What is overclocking

Answer 24

Increasing how many pulses per second the clock can perform in order to carry out more fetch-decode-execute cycles

Question 25

What are the benefits of overclocking

Answer 25

It allows instructions to be processed faster

Question 26

What are the negatives of overclocking

Answer 26

It can cause long term damage to the CPU as it is working harder and producing more heat

Question 27

What is a core

Answer 27

A processing unit within the CPU

Question 28

What is the purpose of a core

Answer 28

To perform fetch-decode-execute cycles

Question 29

What is an embedded system

Answer 29

A small computer that forms part of a larger system, device or machine

Question 30

What is the purpose of an embedded system

Answer 30

To control the device and allow a user to interact with it

Question 31

How are embedded systems changed

Answer 31

Manufacturers program it beforehand but new software can be installed by the user

Question 32

What are the advantages of embedded systems (3)

Answer 32

Cheap to design and build
They tend to require less power
Do not need much processing power so can be built using cheaper processors