Variety of Processors

Question 1

What is Von Neumann Architecture?

Answer 1

The design of modern processors

Question 2

Where are programs stored in modern day Von Neumann Architecture?

Answer 2

In memory

Question 3

In modern Von Neumann Architecture how is data transferred between CPU, RAM, ROM, and other devices?

Answer 3

The address bus and data bus, all items are connected it.

Question 4

What are some different types of processors?

Answer 4

Fixed Logic, Selectable Logic, Parameterized Logic Processor, Programmable Logic Processor

Question 5

What does a Fixed Logic processor do?

Answer 5

Least powerful. Single Operation.

Question 6

What does a Selectable Logic processor do?

Answer 6

Performs more than one operation.

Question 7

What does a Paramerterized Logic processor do?

Answer 7

Accepts a set of parameters in the computation.

Question 8

What does a Programmable Logic Processor do?

Answer 8

Greatest Flexibility.
Function to compute can be changed. CPU’s belong to this
type of processors.

Question 9

Why type of processor is a cpu?

Answer 9

Programmable Logic Processor

Question 10

What are the components of a cpu?

Answer 10

● Controller
● ALU – Arithmetic and Logical Unit
● Registers - Local Data Storage
● Internal Interconnections
● External Interface

Question 11

What does the controller of a cpu do?

Answer 11

● Controls the execution
● Initiates the sequence of steps
● Coordinates other components

Question 12

What does the ALU (Arithmetic and Logical Unit) of the cpu do?

Answer 12

● It provides the Arithmetic and Boolean
Operations.
● It performs one operation at a time.

● Integer Arithmetic - add, subtract, multiply, divide
● Shift - left, right, circular
● Boolean - and, or, not, exclusive or

Question 13

What do registers in a cpu do?

Answer 13

Holds arguments and results of the operations

Question 14

What do Internal Connections in a cpu do?

Answer 14

Transfers values across the components in the CPU.

Question 15

What does the External Interface in a cpu do?

Answer 15

Provides connections to external memory as well as I/O devices

Question 16

What are some processor categories?

Answer 16

Coprocessors, Microcontroller, Microsequencer, Embedded System Processor, General Purpose Processor

Question 17

What do coprocessors do?

Answer 17

Operates in conjunction with other processor.
Example: Floating Point Accelerator.

Question 18

What do Microcontrollers do?

Answer 18

Small programmable device. Dedicated to control
a physical system. Example: Electronic Toys.

Question 19

What do Microsequencers’ do

Answer 19

Use to control coprocessors, memory and other components inside a larger processor board.

Question 20

What do Embedded System Processors’ do?

Answer 20

● It is able to run sophisticated tasks
● More powerful than a microcontroller
● Example: The controller in a an MP3 player that
includes User Interface and MP3 decoding.

Question 21

What does a General Purpose Processor do?

Answer 21

● Most powerful type of processor
● Completely Programmable
● Example: Pentium processor

Question 22

What were 3 evolutionary steps of processors?

Answer 22

● Discrete Logic: Use TTL Gates etc used to implement processor. It could use multiple boxes and circuit boards.
● Single circuit board: Multiple chips/controllers in a single board.
● Single chip: All the components are in a single chip.

Question 23

What is the Fetch-Execute cycle?

Answer 23

This is the basics for programmable
processors.

while (1) {
Fetch from memory the next instruction to
execute in the program.
Execute this instruction.
}

Question 24

What is clock rate?

Answer 24

It is the rate at which gates and hardware
components are clocked to synchronize data transfer.

Question 25

What is Instruction rate.

Answer 25

● It is the time required to execute an instruction.
● Different instructions may take different times.
● Example: Multiplication and division will take more clock cycles than addition and subtraction.

Question 26

How does a processor start up?

Answer 26

● The CPU is initialized
● The fetch-execute cycle starts.
● The first instruction to execute will be in a known
memory location, E.g. 0x1000
● This process is called “bootstrap”.

Question 27

What is bootstrap?

Answer 27

Starting up a cpu, includes the process of executing the first known instruction at a specific memory location

Question 28

How does a processor stop?

Answer 28

It does not really.

● When the application finishes or it is waiting
for an event,
● The program may enter an infinite loop.
● In an OS, that infinite loop is often called
● “Null Process” or
● “System Idle Process”.