Computer Architecture and Languages

Question 1

Cache memory

Answer 1

Portion of memory used for high speed storage

Question 2

Register

Answer 2

An internal memory location within the CPU that temporarily holds data and instructions during process

Question 3

Accumulator

Answer 3

The register that is used for arithmetic and logic calculations

Question 4

Describe computers before Von Neumann

Answer 4

Can only do specific task, have to be rebuilt in order to complete another task

Question 5

What new things did Von Neumann introduce?

Answer 5

Not only data should be stored in memory, but all the instructions in order to reprogram easily

Question 6

Where is Control Unit (CU) located?

Answer 6

Internal part of the CPU

Question 7

What does the CU do?

Answer 7

Controls the flow of data through the CPU + interactions between different parts of the CPU

Question 8

What does the CU tell the different components?

Answer 8

How to respond to the instruction given

Question 9

Where is Immediate access store (IAS) located?

Answer 9

Memory inside the CPU

Question 10

What does IAS do?

Answer 10

Hold the data and the instructions needed to process that data

Question 11

How does IAS also know?

Answer 11

CPU memory

Question 12

Where is Arithmetic Logic Unit located (ALU)?

Answer 12

Internal part of the CPU

Question 13

What does ALU do?

Answer 13

Carries out calculations on data

Question 14

What does ALU’s arithmetic operators do?

Answer 14

x ÷ + -

Question 15

What does ALU’s logical part do?

Answer 15

< > ≤ ≥ =

Question 16

Where do logic ALU’s logical part info has to be placed?

Answer 16

In the accumulator

Question 17

Buses

Answer 17

The components of the model are connected with them

Question 18

What is the bus made out of?

Answer 18

Series of conductors, pathways

Question 19

Types of buses/What do they carry? (3)

Answer 19

1) Data/Data
2) Adress/Adress
3) Control/Instructions

Question 20

What is the first step of fetch-execute cycle called?

Answer 20

Fetching the instruction

Question 21

What is the second step of fetch-execute cycle called?

Answer 21

Decode the instruction

Question 22

What is the third step of fetch-execute cycle called?

Answer 22

Executing the instruction

Question 23

What does the first step of fetch-execute cycle do? Stored?

Answer 23

Fetches the instruction IAS

Question 24

What bus is used in the first step of fetch-execute cycle?

Answer 24

Address bus

Question 25

What does the second step of fetch-execute cycle do?

Answer 25

Needs to understand the fetched instruction

Question 26

What does the third step of fetch-execute cycle do?

Answer 26

Executes the instruction

Question 27

What happens after the end of a fetch-execute cycle

Answer 27

It can start again

Question 28

High level language

Answer 28

A programming language that looks like the language humans generally use

Question 29

Low level language

Answer 29

A programming language that is closer to the native language of computers

Question 30

Machine code

Answer 30

Series of binary numbers

Question 31

Assembly language

Answer 31

A low level programming language that uses mnemonic codes to create programs

Question 32

Syntax

Answer 32

The structure of a language in a computer program

Question 33

Compiler

Answer 33

A computer program that takes a whole program written in a high level language and translates it into machine code

Question 34

Interpreter

Answer 34

A computer program that translates a program written in a high level language line by line into machine code

Question 35

Executable file

Answer 35

A file format that a computer can directly process

Question 36

Mnemonic codes

Answer 36

Instruction codes used in assembly language

Question 37

Assembler

Answer 37

Converts assembly language into machine code

Question 38

Driver

Answer 38

A program that controls a device, for example, a printer or a keyboard

Question 39

Advantages of assembly code? (3)

Answer 39

1) Manipulate in individual bits and bytes
2) Runs very fast
3) Takes less memory than code compiled from a high level language

Question 40

Disadvantages of assembly code? (3)

Answer 40

1) Harder to delay
2) Longer to write programs in assembly code
3) Assembly language is more difficult to learn than high level language