Types Of Processor

Question 1

What does the von Neumann architecture specify?

Answer 1

The basic components of the computer and processor in which a shared memory and bus is used for both data and instructions

Question 2

Define the ‘stored program concept’?

Answer 2

Machine code instructions are fetched and executed serially by a processor that performs arithmetic and logical operations, a program must be resident in main memory to be executed, the machine code instruction are fetched from memory one at a time, decoded and executed in the processor

Question 3

What is the Harvard architecture?

Answer 3

A computer architecture with physically separated memories for instructions and data

Question 4

What is Harvard architecture extensively used with?

Answer 4

embedded Digital Signal Processing (DSP)

Question 5

Why can Harvard architecture be faster than von Neumann architecture?

Answer 5

Because data and instructions can be fetched in parallel instead of competing for the same bus

Question 6

What architecture do modern high-performance CPU chips incorporate?

Answer 6

Aspects of both von Neumann and Harvard architecture

Question 7

What does CISC stand for?

Answer 7

Complex Instruction Set Computer

Question 8

What is CISC built into?

Answer 8

The machine hardware

Question 9

What us the distinguishing feature of a CISC instruction?

Answer 9

Is that it combines a ‘load/save’ instruction with the instruction that carries out the actual calculation

Question 10

Why does CISC use a large instruction set?

Answer 10

To accomplish task in as few lines as possible

Question 11

What is an advantages of CISC in term of the complier?

Answer 11

The complier has very little work to do to translate a high-level language statement into machine code, leading to very little RAM required to store the instructions

Question 12

What is a disadvantage of CISC in terms of hardware?

Answer 12

That many specialised instruction had to be built into hardware even though only about 20% ig them err used in the average program

Question 13

What does RISC stand for?

Answer 13

Reduced Instruction Set Computer

Question 14

How does RISC take the opposite approach of CISC?

Answer 14

By having only simple instructions, each taking one clock cycle, can be executed

Question 15

What is a disadvantage of RISC in terms of the complier?

Answer 15

The complier has to do more work to translate, high-level code into machine code and more RAM is required to store the machine code instructions

Question 16

What is an advantage of of RISC having each instruction take the same amount of time?

Answer 16

Because each instruction is one clock cycle, pipelining is possible and the four instructions will execute at least as fast as the single CISC instruction

Question 17

Which processor design is more popular?

Answer 17

RISC has largely replaced CISC as a processor design, but CISC is still used for microcontrollers and embedded systems

Question 18

What is a co-processor?

Answer 18

An extra processor used to supplement the functions of the primary processor, the CPU

Question 19

What can a co-processor be used for?

Answer 19

It may be used to perform floating point arithmetic, graphics processing, digital signal processing and other functions

Question 20

What can a co-processor not be sued for?

Answer 20

May not be used for general-purpose processor with the ability to fetch its own instructions, do inputs and output operations and so on, generally carries a limited range of functions

Question 21

What do multi-core CPUs do?

Answer 21

distribute workload across multiple CPU cores, thus achieving significantly higher perforce

Question 22

How many cores to many personal computers have?

Answer 22

dual-core or quad-core

Question 23

What is the performance gained by using a multi-core processor dependent on?

Answer 23

The software being able to take advantage of the parallel processing capabilities

Question 24

What dies GPU stand for?

Answer 24

Graphics Processing Unit

Question 25

What us a GPU

Answer 25

A specialised electronic circuit which is very efficient at manipulating computer graphics and image-processing

Question 26

What is the architecture of a GPU normally?

Answer 26

Consists of thousands of smaller, more efficient cores designed for handling multiple task simultaneously

Question 27

In a personal computer where may a GPU be present?

Answer 27

On a graphics card or embedded on the motheword

Question 28

What are some of the applications that uses the GPU?

Answer 28

Machine learning, oil exploration, image processing and financial transactions

Question 29

What is a GPU a form of?

Answer 29

Co-processor

Question 30

How does the GPU work with a CPU?

Answer 30

The GPU takes on the compute-intensive parts of an application while the remainder of the code runs of the CPU