1.1 The characteristics of contemporary processors, input, output and storage devices Flashcards
(23 cards)
What is pipelining?( exam Definition)
Pipelining would allow one instruction to be
fetched as the previous one is being
decoded and the one before that is being
executed.
Explain the problem with instruction BRANCH IF ZERO OR POSITIVE
and BRANCH IF ZERO?
Could be followed by one of two possible instructions, which one will only be determined at execution .Meaning the wrong one may be fetched
What is control bus(1 marks)?
transmits control signals from the
control unit
What is Data bus(1 marks)?
Carries the data
What is Address bus(1 marks)?
carries the memory location where the data is going to or
from
What is program counter?(3 Marks)
1.Store the address of the next instruction to be processed
2.Address is then sent to the MAR
3.PC then incremented.
What is MAR?(2 MARKS)
1.Holds the current address of the instruction.
2.Which was copied from the PC
What is the MDR?(2 MARKS)
1.Contains instruction which has been accessed from memory.
2.Data then sent to the CIR.
2 Ways accumulator is used?
1.Temporary storage during calculations
2.Input/Output in processor used as a buffer / gateway
What does the CIR do differently if there is a jump instruction?
If it’s a jump instruction, the CIR sends the new address to the PC, changing the normal sequence.
What does control unit do?(2 Marks)
- Decodes instructions. [1]
2.Sends control signals to coordinate movement of data through the processor
How does clock speed increase performance?
1.More FDE cycles per second.
2.More instruction can be executed per second
How does cache size increase performance?
1.More space for data
2.RAM needs to be accessed less frequently
What is a GPU?
A co=processor made up of a lot of independent processor that are efficient at image processing
Describe what is meant by the term ‘RAM’.
Random Access Memory (1) which is a form of primary memory (1)
Explain why GPU are better than CPU for 3D Graphics
1.CPU is general purpose processor
2.GPUs are designed specifically for graphics
3. GPUs are able to perform an instruction on multiple pieces of data at one time
List 4 differences between CISC AND RISC?
1.CISC has large and complex instruction set while RISC has a smaller and basic instruction set.
2.For CISC Each instruction may take multiple cycles while for RISC each instruction takes one cycle
3.CISC relies more on hardware therefore compiler doesn’t have to works as hard as on RISC where it rely on software
4.CISC more expensive as has Complicated processor design while RISC has a simpler proccessor.
What are an advantage of RISC other than cost?
Program run faster due to simpler instruction
Explain the effect of using a co-processor system on solving complex Calculation.
Calculations are done by the maths coprocessor so processing is faster
3 feature of Von Neumann architecture?
1.One control unit
2.Does FDE Cycle
3.One instruction at a time
What is opcode?
The part of an instruction that specifies the operation to be performed.
What is operand?
The part of an instruction that specifies the memory address used in the operation.
What is 2 positive of OS being stored in ROM
ROM is quick to start up so the system can be started up quickly. ROM cannot be altered so there is no
chance of the OS being accidentally or changed.
